Speak Before Council

Members of the public have opportunities to speak at meetings of Council and Committees of Council. All scheduled meetings are listed on the Agendas and Minutes page on the Township website, and the agendas for these meetings are posted on the website the Thursday prior to the meeting date. Meeting dates are subject to change; any changes to the meeting date or time are posted on the Township website, however you may wish to contact the Clerk's Office to confirm meeting details.

Please see below for instructions of how to speak before Township Council.

Appearing as a Delegate

A delegation to appear before Council must be on matters that are not listed on the agenda. If you intend to speak to an item that is listed on the agenda, please refer to "Appearing as a Speaker" section.

For any item that is not on the agenda, a person may appear as a delegate before Council and submit the following to the Clerk's Office no later than 4:30 p.m. on the Tuesday in the week before the meeting date:

A Delegation Request Form
Any presentation materials (i.e., PowerPoint presentation)

Please Note

Delegation Request Forms received after the deadline will be scheduled on the next available Council agenda.
Delegates have a strict time limit of 10 minutes to speak (not including questions from Council).
Multiple delegates who wish to address the same issue are encouraged to select one spokesperson to present the views.
There are certain items to which delegations may not speak, including, but not limited to:
- items of litigation
- matters requiring a public meeting under the Planning Act
- matters not within the jurisdiction of Council

Only three delegations are permitted per meeting.
Before appearing before Council as a delegate, you may wish to discuss your concerns with Township staff and/or your Ward Councillor. If your issue cannot be resolved in this manner, staff can then advise you of the next steps to address your concerns. Please contact the Clerk's Office if you have any questions, or concerns.

Appearing as a Speaker

Members of the public may address Council as a Speaker regarding staff reports listed on Council agendas in one of two ways:

At each meeting, the Chair of the meeting will provide members of the public in attendance an opportunity to identify themselves as a Speaker and the agenda item they wish to address.
Complete the Request to Speak Form prior to the commencement of the meeting and submit it to the Clerk's Office.

Please Note

Speakers who do not make their intentions known to the Chair or do not submit the Request to Speak Form will not be able to speak to the item on the agenda.
Speakers have a strict time limit of 5 minutes to speak (not including questions from Council).
Multiple speakers who wish to address the same issue are encouraged to select one spokesperson to present the views.
Speakers are asked to submit any presentation materials to the Clerk's Office prior to the meeting.
A speaker who wishes to attend the meeting electronically must register with the Clerk's Office before 6:00 p.m. on the day prior to the meeting.
Please contact the Clerk's Office if you have any questions, or concerns.

Appearing at Public Meetings and Hearings

Public Meetings and Hearings pursuant to the Planning Act and other legislation are conducted to provide the public with an opportunity to make representations to Council or a Committee. These meetings are generally conducted at the Public Planning Council Meetings, usually held on the fourth Tuesday of the month. For more information on the schedule of meetings, see the Agendas and Minutes page.

Any person can speak to the item subject of such Public Meeting. The above requirements respecting Delegates or Speakers do not apply to these Public Meetings or Hearings. Submit the following information to the Clerk's Office:

A Public Meeting Delegation Form
Any presentation materials (i.e., PowerPoint presentation)

Please contact the Clerk's Office if you have any questions, or concerns.

Contact Us

Township of North Dumfries
106 Earl Thompson Road,
3rd Floor, Ayr, Ontario
N0B 1E0
Mailing Address: P.O. Box
1060 Ayr, Ontario N0B 1E0
Telephone: 519-632-8800
Fax: 519-632-8700

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