Council Meeting Procedures

The Community Event Calendar shows the dates of Council meetings.

All Council meetings are open to the public for observation from the gallery. 

The Mayor will call the meeting to order, and then Council must approve the Agenda before proceeding with the meeting. If a delegation is scheduled, the Mayor will address the delegation at their appointed time inviting them to speak.

Delegations

Any person or group of people can request to come before Council as a delegation. A maximum of two delegations are permitted at any one Council meeting, and each delegation will receive a block of approximately 15-20 minutes to make their presentation to Council. Delegation requests must be received by the CAO no later than the Wednesday prior to the Council meeting they wish to attend. Time slots for delegations are at 5:00 pm and 5:20 pm unless otherwise arranged. 

All requests to be a delegation must include the name of the person/group making the presentation including the number of people that will be attending as part of your delegation to ensure adequate seating room is available or if a change of location will be required to accommodate). Requests must also include a main contact name, phone number and e-mail address (if available), as well as the purpose/reason/subject of your presentation to Council. If there is any material to be provided to Council for the presentation (handouts, etc.) please provide this at least 24-28 hours in advance of the meeting if at all possible.

In-Camera Sessions

Council may go in-camera as a committee of the whole to discuss specific things under The Municipalities Act (section 120). Examples of reasons that Council may go in-camera include a topic of discussion that:

  • is within one of the exemptions in Part III of The Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. This would include such matters as: confidential matters regarding personnel (including Council), any information obtained in confidence from another government agency, information, upon which release would be detrimental or interfere with any lawful investigation or enforcement of a law, etc.
    OR
  • concerns long-range or strategic planning. This can include reviewing and discussing drafts of proposed bylaws, policies, and resolutions, long term asset management, and other long term or strategic tools of the municipality that are up for discussion and have not yet been approved by Council.

If Council makes a resolution to go in-camera, this means they are proceeding to discuss a matter as a Committee of the Whole 'off the record'. No resolutions can be made while in-camera. Council must resume their regular meeting in order to pass resolutions. Council has the right to ask all delegations and observers, including any staff present to leave the room for the period of the in-camera session.