Participate at a Meeting | Town of The Blue Mountains, ON

There are many ways to participate at a meeting, whether through attending as an observer or participating by providing formal comments and feedback.

1. Communicate with Council or Committees
2. Explanation of Meeting Types
3. Meeting Registration
4. Related Pages

Communicate with Council or Committees

There are three primary ways to formally communicate with members of Council or a Committee. The option you choose will be different based on your desired outcome.

-	Correspondence	Public Comment	Deputation
Subject Matter	Can relate to any community, public or municipal matter.	Must pertain to an item on the agenda at a Committee of the Whole meeting. Can relate to any community, public or municipal matter at a Council meeting.	Can relate to any community, public or municipal matter - generally accompanied by a request for action
Appearance Options	No presentation - included with agenda only	In-person, virtually or read by the Clerk	In-person or virtually
Time Limit	N/A	3 minutes	10 minutes
Outcome	Included in meeting minutes.	Formally received by Council or Committee, and included in meeting minutes.	Formally received by Council or Committee, included in meeting minutes, opportunity for dialogue with Council, and can result in direction being provided to staff.
Next Steps	Correspondence Details	Public Comment Details	Deputation Details

Please note: Agenda additions are limited to matters received in the Clerk’s Office no later than 9:00 a.m. on the Thursday immediately before the subject meeting, for circulation to Council by the end of the business day Thursday, and inclusion on the revised meeting agenda.

For more information on the process for each option, please view the How to Share Your Feedback with Council & Committees Infographic.

Explanation of Meeting Types

Council is the decision-making body for all recommendations brought forward on Town matters. Council meetings include all members of Council, senior levels of Town staff, and the public. These meetings include recommendations from the previous Committee of the Whole for the purpose of decision by Council.
Council meetings also include reviewing correspondence items, deputations, by-laws, Public Meetings and time-sensitive staff reports.
It is important to note that during a Council meeting, recommendations can change and Consent Agenda materials can be pulled for further review and consideration.
Committee of the Whole is a less formal and discussion-oriented meeting that includes all members of Council, senior levels of Town staff, and staff that are providing material for review. During Committee of the Whole, recommendations are made that are considered by Council at the next Council meeting for final decision.
Meeting agendas are broken out into various sections to account for Town Departments, including Finance, Administration, Legal, Community Services, Operations, and Planning and Development Services.
Committees of Council include both members of Council and members of the public and are advisory in nature. Committees of Council do not make decisions but rather make recommendations to Council for consideration.
Recommendations from Committees of Council are sent to Committee of the Whole through a Committee Report. Any material can be brought directly to a Committee of Council, or can often be referred by Council for further review by the Committees.
The Committee of Adjustment is an independent body appointed by Council, under authority granted by the Province of Ontario. The Town's Committee of Adjustment has authority under the Planning Act to grant minor variances from the Zoning By-law, Sign By-law, Fence By-law as well as Severances (Consents); and other associated powers under Section 45(2) of the Planning Act with extensions and similar/compatible uses to non-conforming uses, and conformity of uses that are defined in general terms. The Committee of Adjustment follows By-law 2004-67 as their Terms of Reference.
Public Information Centres (PICs) are used to inform and educate residents and community members on upcoming projects and initiatives. Feedback is both welcome and valuable during these sessions and provides Town Staff further insight into needs for projects.
If you wish to attend an upcoming PIC, registration is required. Upcoming PICs are included on the Agendas, Minutes & Reports page. All PICs are recorded and posted onto the respective project webpage following their conclusion.
To continue Town operations, virtual public meetings have been scheduled for various land use planning applications that have been submitted to the Town. The virtual public meetings will provide a formal opportunity for residents to share feedback regarding the respective projects. Information shared at the meeting from residents will help inform Council in their decision-making process.
All Virtual Public Meetings are live-streamed to the Town website. The meeting live streams can be accessed by visiting the Council Meeting Live Stream page. There is no need to register in advance to watch the live stream.
If you would like to participate in a Virtual Public Meeting, members of the public are encouraged to provide their comments or questions in writing using email or regular letter mail to the Town Clerk in advance of the Public Meeting. Written comments received in advance will be circulated to Council in advance of the Public Meeting and will be read by the Town Clerk at the Public Meeting.
Any member of the public wishing to speak at a Virtual Public Meeting is encouraged to pre-register early, and no later than one business day in advance of the Meeting. To pre-register, please contact the Town Clerk at the information below.

Meeting Registration

Pre-registration is required for some Public Meetings, Public Information Centres, Workshops and Open Houses. Pre-registration is also required for the Committee of Adjustment. Upcoming events are included on the Agendas, Minutes & Reports page.

Meeting Registration Form

Upcoming Meetings Council Meeting Live Stream