Speaking Before Council

The Municipality of South Bruce welcomes your voice and opinion. If you have an issue to address to Council, you may request a delegation to speak before Council, submit a letter or contact one of our Council members.

All Council meetings are currently being held over Zoom to protect the safety of everyone during the pandemic. View our Council Meeting calendar to find out when our next meeting is happening.

Request a delegation

You can apply for a delegation request if you want to speak before Council. Please submit your request by sending us an email or dropping it off at our Municipal Office at 21 Gordon St. E. in Teeswater.

When you submit your request, please include:

• Name
• Contact information
• Reason for attending the meeting
• Background information including a summary for inclusion (found in the electronic Council package with the meeting agenda)

If your submission is not clear, we will contact you to clarify your request. You must provide enough detailed information to appear before Council.

You may request for a group to attend as a delegation. Please note only two members can speak towards the issue.

Submission requirements

Please submit your request by the Thursday at 12 p.m. before the Council meeting that you would like to appear at. This ensures that staff and Council have enough time to prepare to address your request.

What to do if you cannot appear as a delegation

If you have an issue to present to Council but cannot appear as a delegation, you can either:

• Write a letter to Council and it will appear as correspondence on an upcoming agenda
• Contact a local Councillor

Please note that any information shared to Council will be part of public record and is included in our Council agendas posted on our website.

During your delegation

In the Council meeting you are invited to speak at, a member of Council will ask you to step forward to the desk in front of Council. You will have up to ten minutes to speak before Council. This time limit applies if you’re presenting as a group as well.

You will speak towards Council and any public members who are welcome to attend. Our Council includes the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and five Council members. The Mayor is the head of Council and has control of the meeting. Senior staff members, the Clerk and Administrator Treasurer may also be in present.

Next steps

We will contact you once Council has investigated your matter and decided on your request. This does not happen during your presentation as Council may want to include staff in making the decision.

Denied request

If your request is denied by Council and you’re not satisfied with Council’s decision, you must wait three months before speaking about the same issue. We will waive this restriction if a Council member asks for a reconsideration on your request.

Expected behaviour

When you speak before Council, be respectful and present in a temperate manner as outlined in our Council Procedural By-law and Code of Conduct.

If inappropriate comments are made and continue to progress throughout your presentation, you will be asked to leave the Council Chambers.