Have Your Say!If you want to make your views known about a matter being considered by a committee of Council you can Submit Comments or Request to Speak. Submit CommentsYou can submit your comments in writing by mail, fax or email. You can find the mailing address, fax number and email address on the appropriate Council or committee page. When sending comments that are intended for consideration by a committee or Council, please clearly indicate the following details:
When we are unsure if comments sent to us were intended for distribution to a committee or Council, we will err on the side of caution and not submit them. If we receive your comments after a matter has been decided, we will forward your comments to the relevant City officials for their information and they will not form part of the official record on an item. TIP: Once a meeting agenda is made available online, a "Submit Comments" button will appear at the top of the page when reviewing each specific agenda item. If you click this button you can easily provide your comments via email. If the meeting has begun and if the matter has already been decided, the "Submit Comments" button will not appear. Request to SpeakYou can appear before a committee of City Council to share your comments with committee members directly. Please register to speak by contacting the City Clerk's staff listed on the relevant committee page. As a courtesy, we request that you register by 4:30 p.m. on the day before a meeting; however you can also register in the meeting room before the meeting starts.
Here are some tips for preparing your presentation to a committee:
TIP: Once a meeting agenda is made available online, a “Request to Speak” button will appear at the top of the page when reviewing each specific agenda item. If you click this button you can easily send your request to speak about the specific item you are reviewing via email. This online button will be removed by 4:30 p.m. the day before the meeting. Comments become part of the public record and your presentation becomes part of the public recordIf you submit written comments, they together with your personal information, will form part of the public record. If you submit written comments on an item before the agenda is published, we will reproduce your correspondence in the printed version of the agenda, including any supplementary agendas if applicable. If we receive your comments after the printed agenda has been distributed, we will copy and distribute your correspondence to all Members of Council and the relevant City officials. Copies will also be made available for public inspection in the meeting. If you are writing as an individual in a personal capacity, you will be listed as a correspondent in any relevant agendas, decisions and minutes. We post these documents online, so the listing of your name in connection with an agenda item may be indexed by search engines like Google. A full copy of your correspondence will be made available for public inspection to anyone who asks before or after the meeting. When you appear before a committee, your presentation becomes part of the public record. If you make a presentation to a committee, you will be listed as a presenter in the minutes of the meeting. We post our minutes online, so the listing of your name in connection with the agenda item may be indexed by search engines like Google. We also videotape all meetings of committees, so your presentation will be recorded. We make video-recordings available on request to the public. |
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