What is an agenda summary? Also known as an "agenda index", the agenda summary lists all agenda items and sub-items with links to background information. The background information usually consists of action or information reports from City staff. The City Clerk's Office may update this consolidated list of agenda items on the date of the meeting. The update will include new business items that members of the committee or community council will introduce during the meeting. Check out the City's new Meeting Monitor for the most up-to-date agenda information. As an HTML page, the agenda summary allows you to conveniently browse the background documents on-line for each agenda item.

What is a detailed agenda? The detailed agenda is a comprehensive version of the regular or main agenda. It includes the summary and recommendation information from background attachments and lists communications that City Clerk's Office staff received from the public before they finalized the agenda. As a PDF document, this is the version that staff print and distribute.

What is a supplementary agenda? From time to time, City Clerk's Office staff will receive urgent additional staff reports and communications related to items already on the agenda after they have distributed it. Staff may then distribute a second or supplementary agenda listing these items. They will format the supplementary agenda so that it only contains these additional late items to save paper.

What is a committee decision document? If possible, the City Clerk's Office usually publishes a decision document about one business day after each committee or community council meeting. The committee decision document summarizes the committee's or community council's decisions on all agenda items. The decision document lists a community council's final decision on delegated matters under the title "committee decision". For other items that are not delegated and that the committee or community council has adopted or amended, the decision document lists "committee recommendations". After they have produced the decision document, staff will forward a committee report with committee or community council recommendations to City Council for it to consider and approve. Decision documents do not normally include details on the speakers (deputations) or motions - the City Clerk's Office publishes this information later in the committee minutes.

What are committee minutes? After City Clerk's Office staff produce the committee decision document, they compile the committee minutes. The minutes detail further information for each agenda item, including the background motions that committee or community council members moved or submitted. Staff use the motions to assemble additions, changes and deletions to update the committee or community council recommendations (or community council decision for delegated items). The minutes also list registered speakers (or deputations) and the original staff recommendations.

What is an agenda notice? When a committee or community council needs to provide notice of a special or additional meeting, staff dsitribute an agenda notice. (City Council approves the dates and times of all regular standing committee meetings once a year and the the City's website offers information on the schedule of these regular committee meetings.)

Agenda Decision and Meeting Terminology

Adopted - An item with an "adopted" status indicates that the committee or community council has agreed to the item without amending it. A majority of adopted committee items are forwarded to City Council in a committee report, for final consideration and approval. However, "delegated" community council items that have been adopted require no further approval.

Amended - An item with an "amended" status indicates that the committee or community council thas agreed to the item but has amended the recommendations.

City Council Consideration Date - The date when City Council will consider committee report items. City Council may decide to "adopt" or "amend" the items in turn.

Deferred - An item with a "deferred" status indicates that the committee or community council will consider this item at a later meeting.

Delegated - A "delegated" matter is one for which City Council has authorized a community council to make the final decision. Under certain circumstances, City Council may re-open the matter or item.

Held - During a meeting, an item with a "held" status indicates that the committee or community council has held the item to consider and debate at a later time during the meeting.

Item Number - The City Clerk's Office assigns a unique reference number to each item within an agenda to help Councillors, staff and the public refer to the item easily during a meeting or in a decision document.

Item Status - An item can have a status that refers to the type of decision (or disposition) that a committee or community council made about an item. The decision status of an item can be "Adopted", "Amended", "Deferred", "Referred", "Recieved", "Noted/Filed" or "Withdrawn".

Meeting Status - After a committee or community council has started its meeting, the meeting is "in progress". When the committee or community council takes a break for lunch, it is "recessed". When the committee or community council has dealt with all items, the meeting is "completed".

Noted / Filed - When a committee or community council has "noted and filed" an item, it has decided not to make recommendations on the item until later, so that the members can take time to consider the item.

Received - A decision acknowledging that the committee or community council has received an item or matter, but it will take no future action on it.

Referred - An item with a referred status means that the committee or community council referred the item to staff for further information or to another committee or to City Council.

Withdrawn - For procedure or mandate reasons an item may have a "withdrawn" status indicating the item was removed from the agenda.