Delegations at Council Meetings
View this simple guide to help you prepare your presentation to City Council. Providing the right material can help Council make informed decisions.
Community Presentations
An organization or community group wishing to make a presentation to Council must make the request in writing to the City Clerk’s Office at cityclerk@cityssm.on.ca with details at least one week prior to the Council meeting.
Your request should include a description of your presentation and the action that you are seeking. Be sure to include a contact name, number, email and address as well as the names of the individuals who would be making the presentation.
If the topic is appropriate as an Agenda item, municipal staff will contact the presentation representative with a date and time for the presentation.
The maximum length of time for a presentation to Council is three minutes.
Delegations
Any person who wishes to appear before Council regarding an item on the Agenda shall make a request in writing before 11 a.m. on the day of the Council meeting.
Delegations will not be heard regarding Proclamations/Presentations reports for the information of Council, or where there has already been an opportunity for public input.
Written submissions received by the City Clerk regarding an item on the Agenda may be added to the Agenda.
The Agenda Review Committee may, upon review of proposed delegation materials, decline a request to present. If declined, the decision may be appealed to members of Council. A request for appeal should be made in writing to the City Clerk by 3 p.m. on the day of the Council meeting.
If a motion is made, seconded and confirmed by majority vote to hear the delegation, the person may be permitted to address Council. The maximum length of time for a delegation to Council is three minutes.
Statutory Public Meetings
Procedures regarding delegations are not intended to apply to statutory public meetings (e.g. Planning Act)
Before the Meeting
Prepare your presentation. Community Delegations have a maximum of 5 minutes to speak at meetings of Council and Council Committees. As a general rule, one slide is equal to approximately one minute of speaking time.
Provide any background materials to the City Clerk at least one week before the meeting so that we can arrange for duplication and distribution.
Provide any visual aids, such as PowerPoint presentations, to the City Clerk at least one week before the meeting. We'll do all the set-up - all you have to do is speak!
At the Meeting
Wait until the Chair announces your presentation before going to the podium.
Remember to introduce yourself, as well as anyone who may be accompanying you to the podium. State the reason for your presentation.
The Chair of the meeting is responsible for conducting the meeting and ensuring proper meeting decorum. Always follow directions and instructions from the Chair.
Address your presentation and answers to any questions to the chairperson. The proper protocol is to say, "Through you, Mr./Madam Chair" or, if the Mayor is chairing the meeting, "Through you, Mr./Madam Mayor."
Make eye contact with your audience and try not to read directly from your slides or speaking notes.
Once you have finished speaking, remain at the podium until you have been thanked by the Chair. The Chair may ask you to answer questions. Please wait for direction from the Chair before responding to comments or questions from the members.
Procedure By-law 2022-100