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. View Agendas, Minutes & Reports
2. Provide Written or Verbal Comment
3. Council and Committee Meetings
4. Public Meetings, Information Centres, Workshops and Open Houses
5. Explanation of Meeting Types

View Agendas, Minutes & Reports

Agendas and staff reports for all Council, Committee of The Whole and Committee of Council meetings are available to the public and are posted prior to the meeting. Minutes of these meetings are posted on the website after being adopted. To view material for scheduled meetings, visit the Agendas, Minutes & Reports page.

Agendas, Minutes & Reports

Share feedback with Council and Committees

Members of the public can submit correspondence and make a presentation, also referred to as a deputation, to Council, Committee of the Whole or a Committee of Council. For more information, please visit the Correspondence & Deputations page.

Share Feedback

Council and Committee Meetings

Town of The Blue Mountains Council, Committee of the Whole and Council, Public Meetings are held in a hybrid format.

Live Stream & Recordings

All Council and Committee of the Whole meetings are live-streamed on the Town’s website. When a live-stream is in progress, you will see a notification in the bottom corner of the Town website. Following the meeting, recordings are archived and made available through the Agendas, Minutes & Reports page.

Committee of Council meetings are virtual only, with the exception of the Committee of Adjustment meetings which are held in a hybrid format. All Committee of Council meetings are not live-streamed. Instead, the meetings are recorded and the video is posted to the Agendas, Minutes & Reports page.

View Livestream

Public Meetings, Information Centres, Workshops and Open Houses

Pre-registration is required for 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

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.