Council and City Administration

Speak at a Meeting

Q: What is a standing committee?

Each of our four standing committeeshas a focused mandate related to City services and operations. Standing committees are made up of members of Council. Exceptions are the Audit Committee and Pipeline to Permit Committee that are made up of Council and resident members. Standing committees receive and debate reports from City staff on key issues that affect our community. They make recommendations that go to City Council meetings for approval.

Q: Can I speak to an item that is not on the meeting agenda?

If you wish to speak regarding a matternotlisted on an agenda, a member of Council must sponsor the item. A councillor sponsors an item by preparing a memorandum on the subject matter and submitting it within the required deadline for inclusion on the standing committee agenda. The submission deadline is generally 12 days in advance of the meeting. Contact your ward Councillor directly to make this request. You canfind your Councillor Wardif you are unsure who to contact. Once you receive confirmation that your item has been placed on an agenda, please submit a delegation registration form to ensure that you are scheduled to speak at the committee meeting.

The City of Burlington relies on our residents to make sure we're representing the interests of the community. Speaking at a Standing Committee or Council meeting is a great way to keep us informed and accountable to your needs.

Register to speak at a meeting

You can register to speak at a meeting by completing our delegation registration form

Registration deadline - You must register by noon the business day before the meeting. If the meeting is on a Monday, you must submit your request by noon on the Friday prior. At the meeting, delegations are heard in the order that we receive them.

Speaking notes and presentations

Speaking notes and PowerPoint presentations must be submitted by noon the business day before the meeting. If the meeting is on a Monday, speaking notes and presentations must be submitted by noon on the Friday before the meeting.

We recommend that you include your intended remarks in your speaking notes and presentations. These will be circulated to all members of the standing committee in case any technology disruptions occur.

Presentation tips

Here are some helpful tips on how you can prepare for your presentation.

Make notes or write out the text of your presentation. Written material will help you to keep focused and stay within the presentation time limit
Larger groups should select a spokesperson to make their presentation. If you are appearing on behalf of a larger group, such as a neighbourhood group, let the clerk know in advance

Meeting process

This is how meetings typically run and what you can expect:

At the start of the meeting, we address the delegation portion of the agenda. The committee Chair or Mayor at Council will call out your name and identify the subject matter that you will be addressing. Please address your remarks to the Chair and Members of the Committee, or if you are at Council, to the Mayor and Members of Council
After you complete your presentation, the Chair or the Mayor at Council will ask members of Council if they have any questions for you
Once all questions have been asked, the Chair or Mayor at Council will thank you for your presentation and will not entertain any more comments from your delegation
Once all delegations have been heard, the committee will discuss each agenda item in the order it appears on the agenda, unless a member requests that an item be reordered. Committee members will discuss and debate each item and form a recommendation, which will be forwarded to Council for approval
If you wish to appear before Council as a delegation, you must only present new information. All seven Council members are members of the standing committees, so they will have heard your delegation at committee. If your issue is a matter currently in the Council agenda, you may register as a delegation up to noon the day before the Council meeting

For information on the rules and order of delegations at standing committee and Council meetings, please refer to our Procedure Bylaw (059-2024).

Give us your feedback

After speaking at a committee or Council meeting, please take a few minutes to give us your feedback on the process of registering and delegating.

Speaking at a Meeting Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

View some of our frequently asked questions about speaking at standing committee and Council meetings.

What is a delegation?

Delegations are individuals or groups requesting to speak at a standing committee or Council meeting. In order to speak at a Council or committee meeting, you must first register as a delegation. We encourage delegations to bring their information to the appropriate standing committee to allow members to consider all information before making their recommendations to Council.

What is a standing committee?

Each of our four standing committees has a focused mandate related to City services and operations. Standing committees are made up of members of Council. Exceptions are the Audit Committee and Pipeline to Permit Committee that are made up of Council and resident members. Standing committees receive and debate reports from City staff on key issues that affect our community. They make recommendations that go to City Council meetings for approval.

How long am I able to speak for?

Each delegation should appoint one spokesperson who is allowed ten minutes to address standing committees and five minutes to address Council.

What is the deadline to register to speak?

If you wish to speak at an upcoming meeting, you must register by noon the business day before the meeting. For Monday meetings, the deadline is Friday at noon.

Can I speak to an item that is not on the meeting agenda?

If you wish to speak regarding a matter not listed on an agenda, a member of Council must sponsor the item. A councillor sponsors an item by preparing a memorandum on the subject matter and submitting it within the required deadline for inclusion on the standing committee agenda. The submission deadline is generally 12 days in advance of the meeting. Contact your ward Councillor directly to make this request. You can find your Councillor Ward if you are unsure who to contact. Once you receive confirmation that your item has been placed on an agenda, please submit a delegation registration form to ensure that you are scheduled to speak at the committee meeting.

When and where are the meetings?

Standing committee and Council meetings are held using a hybrid format, providing you with the option of speaking in-person at City Hall, 426 Brant St., or virtually via Zoom.

Review our Electronic Meetings and Remote Participation Guide to learn more about remote participation at meetings.

If meeting times or locations change, registered delegations will be notified. Changes to locations and times will also be posted on our website.

Where do I find an agenda for standing committee and Council?

You can view current and past standing committee and Council meeting agendas. Standing committee agendas are posted the Monday prior to meetings. Council agendas are posted the Friday afternoon prior to the Tuesday Council meeting.

Once I am registered to speak, what is the deadline to submit delegation material (i.e.

presentation, notes)?

If you wish to share a presentation, speaking notes or other material with committee members in advance of the meeting, you must submit them to the Clerks Department at clerks@burlington.ca by noon the business day before the meeting. For Monday meetings, the deadline is Friday at noon.

All materials submitted to the Clerks Department will form part of the public record.