Participate in Council & Committee Meetings

Write to Council or Committee

Submit your comments using the “Submit Comments” button. The “Submit Comments” button found on an agenda item launches an online submission form. Following the steps in the online form will ensure that your name, contact information and your consent are submitted with your comments on the item you selected. Watch this video to learn more about the online submission process.

Your comments and name will become part of the public record, be shared with shared with Members and will be online to ensure transparency. Please ensure that your comments do not include:

• Any personal information about yourself (age, home address, health information etc.)
• Any personal information about someone else
• Any profanity or discriminatory language; graphic content

Communications not received in time will not be distributed to Members. If we receive your comments after a matter has been decided, they will not be accepted, distributed, or included as part of the official meeting record.

Request to Speak at a Committee Meeting

Register your interest in speaking to a Committee or Board by using the “Request to Speak” button. The “Request to Speak” button found on an agenda item launches an online submission form. Watch this video to learn more about the online submission process.

You should register by 4:30 p.m. the day before the meeting at the latest. If there is a meeting room provided with the agenda, you have the option to make your presentation in-person or by video conference, and these details will be provided to you by email once your request is processed.

Presenters are not heard at meetings of City Council, unless there is a legislated requirement to do so.

Participating in Meetings

Once you have registered to speak at a meeting, you will receive an email with important meeting information. If you have materials to support your presentation, please submit them to the Clerk by email.

What to Expect

• The meeting begins when the Chair calls the meeting to order.
• Committee members review the agenda and may set the order for items they will consider.
• Your speaking time and/or the order you appear on the Speaker’s List is not guaranteed. The Chair will call registered speakers in the order that they appear on the Speaker’s List, whether they are speaking in person, or by video conference or telephone.
• Public Presentations are limited to five minutes, unless the committee decides otherwise; keep track of your time while speaking. Your presentation should relate to the item under consideration.
• Members may ask you questions following your presentation; the limit is five minutes per Member (unless the Committee decides otherwise), including their question and your response. You are not able to ask questions of Members.
• Be respectful of other meeting participants. Offensive and disrespectful language will not be tolerated in a presentation (or by the public attending). Do not display signs or placards, applaud debating participants, or engage in conversation or other behaviour that may disrupt the meeting. You may be asked to leave the meeting at the discretion of the Chair.

In-person Participation

When you arrive at City Hall or Civic Centre, follow all screening protocols before attending the meeting room.

When you arrive at the meeting room, take a seat in the public gallery. You can make your presentation from the presentation desk in the room.

Electronic Participation

For detailed instructions about how to connect to the meeting, refer to the Connecting to Webex Instructions.

What to expect when speaking at electronic committee meetings

1. The electronic meeting is started 30 minutes before the schedule start time. You may join the meeting early to test your connection.
2. Upon joining the meeting, your mic will remain muted until your presentation time.
3. The Chair will call your name when it is your turn to speak. At this time, you will be able to unmute your microphone and will have the option turn on your video, if you wish.

Tip: For best sound quality, use a headset or microphone. Try to limit background noise especially any audio of the meeting (e.g. from the YouTube livestream), so that Members can hear you clearly and without feedback. Mute or turn off televisions or radios.

Connecting to an Electronic Meeting

You can connect to the electronic meeting using a phone, computer, or mobile device.

Some computers and mobile devices, like smart phones or tablets, may require you to download the Cisco Webex application. You can test your device in advance of a meeting.

The Webex Application is available for download in the Google Play or Apple App Store.

By Phone:

• To join the meeting by phone call 416-915-6530 and use the meeting ID provided in your registration email.
• You should call from the same phone number provided at the time of registration.

Tips when connecting by Phone: Press “* 6” to mute or unmute or use your phone’s “mute” option.

By Computer:

• Click the meeting link provided in your email or open a web browser and go to: toronto.webex.com.
• Enter the meeting ID and password provided by email and follow the login instructions.
• You may be prompted to “run the temporary Webex application,” Select Run.
• Or, select “Join from your Browser” to join without downloading the Webex application.

By Tablet or Smartphone:

• Download the Cisco Webex Meeting app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Allow WebEx to access your microphone and telephone, if necessary.
• Enter the meeting ID and password provided by email and follow the login instructions.

Troubleshooting

• If connecting using a smartphone or tablet, you will need to allow Webex application access to your device’s microphone.
• If connecting by computer, you must have a microphone connected. If you do not have a microphone, “switch audio” connection from your computer to your phone using the “Audio & Video” menu in the Webex window.
• Instructions for switching your audio while in a meeting are available online.

Privacy Notices

We collect your information under the authority of the Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 27, Council Procedures or any other applicable procedural By-law. As permitted under Section 27 of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), we collect this information for the purpose of creating a record that is available to the general public. Information collected for this purpose is not subject to the privacy provisions in MFIPPA.

The City of Toronto Act, 2006 and the City of Toronto Municipal Code authorize the City of Toronto to collect any personal information in your communication or presentation to City Council or its Committees and Boards. The City collects this information to enable it to make informed decisions on the relevant issue(s). If you are submitting letters, faxes, e-mails, presentations or other communications to the City, you should be aware that your name and the fact that you communicated with the City will become part of the public record and will appear on the City’s website. The City will also make your communication and any personal information in it – such as your postal address, telephone number or e-mail address – available to the public, unless you expressly request the City to remove it.

Written Submissions

Any written comments submitted, your full legal name and the name of the organization you represent (if applicable), become part of the public record of 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, which are posted online. 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 posted and searchable online for a period of time, and will be provided to anyone who asks before or after the meeting.

Speaking at a Meeting

When you speak to a committee:

• On the day of the meeting, your name will appear on the “Speakers List” which is posted online
• Your presentation will be captured in the broadcast of the meeting and available online. Some Meetings are live streamed on Toronto City Council’s YouTube channel and recorded for viewing after meetings have ended.
• Your name will remain online as someone that communicated with the decision body for as long as the City Clerk keeps the minutes of the meeting available online.
• Your name will be listed as someone who spoke at the meeting in the permanent public record of this meeting.
• The listing of your full legal name in connection with the agenda item may be indexed by search engines like Google.

Contact City Clerk’s Office staff if you have any questions or concerns.