If you want to speak to council or committee members during a meeting about an issue on the agenda, you can register as a delegation. Delegations can attend meetings in person or virtually. Please register before a meeting.
On this page:
- Register to be a delegation
- Registering after the agenda is published
- Participation in meetings
- Staff contacts
- Delegate guidelines
- Petitions
- Recording notice
Register to be a delegation
To register as a delegation for an upcoming meeting and to have your name printed on the agenda, please register:
- before noon on the Wednesday before the meeting for council meetings
- two Thursdays before the meeting for standing committee meetings
Fill out our online form to register as a delegation. You can also contact staff to register.
Upcoming council and committee meeting agendas are available online.
You cannot address council or a committee on the same issue more than once unless you’re sharing new information. Please include the new information in a delegation form for our city clerk’s office to review.
Registering after the agenda is published
Delegations can register up to two hours prior to the start of the meeting by completing the online registration form.
If you cannot complete the online form before the meeting starts, please send your written comments to us by email.
Written correspondence for Public Planning matters must include your full name, mailing address, and the planning matter on the agenda that your correspondence is related to.
If you have any questions, please send us an email before the meeting.
Participation in meetings
After you fill out the online registration form, we'll reach out with more information to confirm your registration and participation in the meeting.
You can attend meetings in-person where the meeting agenda identifies the meeting as being a hybrid meeting. Hybrid meetings currently consist of city council and standing committees of council. Advisory and/or quasi-judicial meetings are virtual meetings.
In-person meeting participation
If you want to attend meetings in-person, please consult the agenda to confirm the meeting will be held in person and to register before the meeting where possible. If you cannot register before the meeting, please see the city clerk in the council chamber at the start of the meeting to register.
Electronic meeting participation
If you want to join a meeting virtual, complete the online delegation registration form at least two hours before the start of the meeting. Advanced registration is required to make sure staff can send you the electronic meeting information by email before the meeting. To join virtually, you need access to a computer or tablet with internet service or a telephone.
If you can’t join in-person or virtually, you can send written correspondence that will be forwarded to city council for their consideration. You can send your comments by email before the meeting, which will be referenced during the meeting and included in the minutes to form part of the public record.
Please send us your written comments by email.
Staff contacts
Instead of filling out our online form, you can register as a delegation by contacting:
- Dianna Saunderson at 519-741-2200, ext. 7278 for:
- city council
- finance and corporate services committee
- Mariah Blake at 519-741-2200, ext. 7277 for planning and strategic initiatives committee
- Marilyn Mills at 519-741-2200, ext. 7275 for the community and infrastructure services committee
Delegate guidelines
As a delegate, you can address council or committee members for a maximum of five minutes.
If your delegation includes five or more people, two people can speak, each for a maximum of five minutes. Each speaker must register as a delegation separately, please note in the online delegation form the group/people being represented.
Speaking guidelines
Direct your comments through the meeting chair. Members of council or committee may, through the chair, respond to a point or a question.
Only one person can speak at a time. All delegations must behave appropriately and use proper speech and language when speaking. The chair can expel any person who violates these expectations from the meeting.
After you’ve spoken and answered questions, please return to your seat so council or committee members can debate the issue and either make or defer a decision, pending more information. You don’t need to stay for the rest of the meeting after your issue is complete.
Your presentation
If you plan to use a PowerPoint presentation, you must give the file to our city clerk’s office before noon on the business day before the meeting. For meetings on Mondays, staff must get the file before noon on the Friday before the meeting. We cannot accommodate presentations given after the deadline.
Presentation materials must follow the Municipal Freedom of Information Privacy Protection Act (MFIPPA) and cannot include photos of identifiable individuals, licence plates and/or names without the individual’s consent.
When you’re preparing your presentation, try to keep your:
- speaking notes to a maximum of 550 words to keep a comfortable pace
- slide deck between five and eight slides
These tips will help you stay in the five-minute time limit and avoid rushing or leaving out information.
Petitions
Petitions given during a public meeting are part of the public record. If you want to submit a petition, please make sure everyone who has signed the document understands the information they included will:
- be available to the public
- not be protected under MFIPPA
If you want to submit a petition, please contact our committee staff.
Recording notice
All council, standing committee and committee of adjustment meetings are recorded and livestreamed. We also archive them on our website.
Meetings may also be broadcast live or taped-to-air later by Rogers TV.