Participate at Council Meetings

Ways you can Participate

• Public Question Time

  Public Question Time is a valuable opportunity for community members to seek clarity and or updates on local matters that affect them.

  Details:

  • Questions must relate to general matters, not topics already on the agenda.
  • Questions to Council must be:
    • Submitted in writing via the Request to Speak form by 12pm midday on the day of the meeting.
    • Questions may be asked of Council and may not be directed to individual Councillors or officers. 
  • Public questions must not exceed two minutes in duration. 
  • A summary of each question and response will be recorded in the minutes.
  • Responses to questions taken on notice will be published on the Council website.

  Why a Question might be declined:

  • Outside Council’s powers or duties.
  • Defamatory, offensive, trivial, or irrelevant.
  • Repeats something already answered.
  • Aimed at embarrassing a Councillor or staff member.
  • Relates to confidential or closed meeting matters.
  • Requires unreasonable resources to answer.

• Making a verbal submission to agenda items

  Making a verbal submission to agenda items is a meaningful way to community members to share their views, influence decision making, and ensure their voices are heard on reports being considered by Council. 

  Details: 

  • Members of the public are asked to focus on agenda items under consideration.
  • Submissions must not exceed two minutes in duration 
  • Registrations must be received via the below request to speak form by 12pm midday on the day of the meeting. 
  • Questions made on agenda items will not automatically be referred to a Council officer for response, but they may be taken up by a Councillor when the item is considered. 
  • Speaker names will be recorded in the minutes; questions and comments will be streamed live and recorded to be made available online
  • Submissions must not be defamatory, offensive, trivial, or irrelevant, aimed at embarrassing a Councillor or staff or relates to confidential or closed meeting matters.

   

• Speaking to a Deputation

  If your deputation request is approved and scheduled for a Council meeting:

  Details: 

  • Only the person who submitted the deputation or their nominated representative.
  • You may speak for up to 5 minutes. The Chair may allow one extension of up to 5 minutes.
  • Registrations must be received via the below request to speak form by 12pm midday on the day of the meeting.
  • Councillors may ask clarifying questions only; there will be no discussion or debate during the meeting.
  • Council will not make a decision at the same meeting. Any motion related to your deputation will be considered at the next Council meeting.