Make your views known about a matter being considered by City Council or one of its Committees or local Boards.

You can submit comments in writing or speak at a Committee or Board meeting about specific agenda items. Prior to submitting comments, please review the Rules of Procedure. Please review Chapter 27 for Council Procedures and Committees that report to Council. Rules of Procedure for Council Advisory Bodies and some City Boards and Tribunals can be found through the Other Boards and Committees list on the Committees tab.

For information about watching meetings online please visit Watch City Council Live.

 

Submit your comments in writing. Contact information for each committee are listed on the appropriate Council or Committee page.

For your convenience, each agenda item has a “Submit Comments” option to email your comments about the item you are viewing. Using the “Submit Comments” button will ensure that your name, contact information and your consent are submitted with your comments on the item you selected. This online button will be removed once the meeting is in progress and action has been taken on the item.

When sending written comments that are intended for consideration by a committee or Council, please clearly indicate the following details:

  • That you are submitting comments for distribution to a Committee or to Council. To confirm that your comments are intended for distribution, the “To:” line of your communications should include the Committee, City Council or the City Clerk.
  • The name of the item and the item number (e.g. Item 2010.HL30.1 – Public Forum on the Proposed Metrolinx Service Expansion in the Georgetown South Corridor)..
  • The name of the Committee and the date of the meeting.
  • Your name and contact information including email or mailing address. The City cannot accept anonymous communications.

Please submit all written communications to the Clerk as soon as possible; the more time we have to process your communication and share it with Members, the more time they will have to consider your comments. Communications not received in time will not be distributed to Members.

When Comments Will Not Be Distributed to Committee or Council

  • Comments that are submitted anonymously or include defamatory language will not be accepted or form part of the official meeting record on that item.
  • If we’re unsure if comments sent to us were intended for Committee or Council, we will not distribute them. Correspondence must be addressed to the Committee, City Council or the Clerk in the “To” line of the letter or email. Emails sent to individual councillors or City staff that are copied to the Clerk or Committee via cc: will not be distributed to the Committee.
  • If you are submitting comments on behalf of someone else and do not include confirmation of their consent for you to submit comments on their behalf, we will not distribute them.
  • If we receive your comments after a matter has been decided, they will not be accepted, distributed, or included as part of the official meeting record.

Present directly to a committee of City Council about specific agenda items during a scheduled meeting.

Presenters are not heard at meetings of City Council, unless there is a legislated requirement to do so.

Please register to speak by contacting the committee email listed on the relevant committee page. We request that you register by 4:30 p.m. the day before the meeting. If there is a meeting room provided with the agenda, you have the option to make your presentation in-person or by video conference. Please indicate your preference in your request to speak.

For your convenience, each agenda item has a “Request to Speak” button that can be used to submit a request to speak on the item you are viewing.

Once you have registered to speak at a meeting, you will receive an email with important meeting information. If you have materials to support your presentation, please submit them to the Clerk by email.

What to Expect

  • The meeting begins when the Chair calls the meeting to order.
  • Committee members review the agenda and may set the order for items they will consider.
  • Your speaking time and/or the order you appear on the Speaker’s List is not guaranteed. The Chair will call registered speakers in the order that they appear on the Speaker’s List, whether they are speaking in person, or by video conference or telephone.
  • Public Presentations are limited to five minutes, unless the committee decides otherwise; keep track of your time while speaking. Your presentation should relate to the item under consideration.
  • Members may ask you questions following your presentation; the limit is five minutes per Member (unless the Committee decides otherwise), including their question and your response. You are not able to ask questions of Members.
  • Be respectful of other meeting participants. Offensive and disrespectful language will not be tolerated in a presentation (or by the public attending). Do not display signs or placards, applaud debating participants, or engage in conversation or other behaviour that may disrupt the meeting. You may be asked to leave the meeting at the discretion of the Chair.

In-person Participation

When you arrive at City Hall or Civic Centre, follow all screening protocols before attending the meeting room.

When you arrive at the meeting room, take a seat in the public gallery. You can make your presentation from the presentation desk in the room.

Electronic Participation

For detailed instructions about how to connect to the meeting, refer to the Connecting to Webex Instructions.

What to expect when speaking at electronic committee meetings
  1. The electronic meeting is started 30 minutes before the schedule start time. You may join the meeting early to test your connection.
  2. Upon joining the meeting, your mic will remain muted until your presentation time.
  3. The Chair will call your name when it is your turn to speak. At this time, you will be able to unmute your microphone and will have the option turn on your video, if you wish.

Tip: For best sound quality, use a headset or microphone. Try to limit background noise especially any audio of the meeting (e.g. from the YouTube livestream), so that Members can hear you clearly and without feedback. Mute or turn off televisions or radios.

Connecting to an Electronic Meeting

You can connect to the electronic meeting using a phone, computer, or mobile device.

Some computers and mobile devices, like smart phones or tablets, may require you to download the Cisco Webex application. You can test your device in advance of a meeting.

The Webex Application is available for download in the Google Play or Apple App Store.

By Phone:

  • To join the meeting by phone call 416-915-6530 and use the meeting ID provided in your registration email.
  • You should call from the same phone number provided at the time of registration.

Tips when connecting by Phone: Press “* 6” to mute or unmute or use your phone’s “mute” option.

By Computer:

  • Click the meeting link provided in your email or open a web browser and go to: toronto.webex.com.
  • Enter the meeting ID and password provided by email and follow the login instructions.
  • You may be prompted to “run the temporary Webex application,” Select Run.
  • Or, select “Join from your Browser” to join without downloading the Webex application.

By Tablet or Smartphone:

  • Download the Cisco Webex Meeting app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Allow WebEx to access your microphone and telephone, if necessary.
  • Enter the meeting ID and password provided by email and follow the login instructions.

Troubleshooting

  • If connecting using a smartphone or tablet, you will need to allow Webex application access to your device’s microphone.
  • If connecting by computer, you must have a microphone connected. If you do not have a microphone, “switch audio” connection from your computer to your phone using the “Audio & Video” menu in the Webex window.
  • Instructions for switching your audio while in a meeting are available online.

We collect your information under the authority of the Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 27, Council Procedures or any other applicable procedural By-law. As permitted under Section 27 of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), we collect this information for the purpose of creating a record that is available to the general public. Information collected for this purpose is not subject to the privacy provisions in MFIPPA.

The City of Toronto Act, 2006 and the City of Toronto Municipal Code authorize the City of Toronto to collect any personal information in your communication or presentation to City Council or its Committees and Boards. The City collects this information to enable it to make informed decisions on the relevant issue(s). If you are submitting letters, faxes, e-mails, presentations or other communications to the City, you should be aware that your name and the fact that you communicated with the City will become part of the public record and will appear on the City’s website. The City will also make your communication and any personal information in it – such as your postal address, telephone number or e-mail address – available to the public, unless you expressly request the City to remove it.

Written Submissions

Any written comments submitted, your name and the name of the organization you represent (if applicable), become part of the public record of the meeting.

If you are writing as an individual in a personal capacity, you will be listed as a correspondent in any relevant agendas, decisions and minutes, which are posted online. The listing of your name in connection with an agenda item may be indexed by search engines like Google.

A full copy of your correspondence will be provided to anyone who asks before or after the meeting.

Videos

  • Meetings are live streamed on Toronto City Council’s YouTube channel and recorded for viewing after meetings have ended.
  • On the day of the meeting, your name will appear on the “Speakers List” which is posted online.
  • When you appear and speak before a committee, your presentation becomes part of the public record.
  • If you choose to speak, you will appear in the live broadcast and video archive of the meeting, and your name will appear online in the meeting minutes. The listing of your name in connection with the agenda item may be indexed by search engines like Google.

Contact City Clerk’s Office staff if you have any questions or concerns.