Correspondence and Delegations
Members of the public are welcome to attend any meeting of City Council, or a Standing or Advisory Committee. All meetings are open to the public, with very few exceptions, outlined in the Municipal Act.
City Council and Standing Committee meetings are held according to the Council Procedure By-law. Advisory Committee meetings are held according to the Advisory Committee Policy and Procedure.
Visit the City's Meeting Calendar for minutes, agendas, webstreams and information packages
Learn about Consent Agendas used by Council and Standing Committees
Corresponding to or Addressing City Council, a Standing Committee or an Advisory Committee
Members of the public can participate in the public process by submitting correspondence or appearing before City Council, a Standing Committee or an Advisory Committee concerning a matter of interest or an agenda item.
More information related to Correspondence and Delegations is available in the Council's Procedure By law.
Deadlines for Submissions
To submit correspondence or request a delegation regarding a new matter, your written request must be submitted to Legislative Services by 4:30 p.m. on the Tuesday prior to the regular Committee or Council meeting. Requests received after this deadline may be included on a subsequent meeting agenda.
To submit correspondence or request a delegation regarding a matter that appears on a published agenda, your request must be submitted to Legislative Services by 4 p.m. on the business day prior to the meeting.
Please be advised that Corporate Holidays or closures may affect these deadlines (i.e. when City Hall is closed on a Friday prior to a meeting on Monday, the business day prior to the meeting is Thursday).
Please note that in accordance with Council's Procedure By-law, submissions regarding the following matters will not be placed on an agenda:
- Matters which are not within Council's jurisdiction
- Matters which have been decided upon by Council
- Matters which have been referred to staff for a report
- Matters which are the subject of an Education and Training Session
Correspondence
To correspond with City Council or a Committee, you may submit written correspondence to Legislative Services. Any correspondence addressed to City Council, or a Committee is placed on the appropriate public agenda and posted on the City's website. Also, any personal information you choose to disclose in your letter will become part of the public record and your name will be published on the City's website.
Correspondence must include the author's full name and current contact information, including the author's residence address and telephone number or e-mail address.
Correspondence addressed to an individual Member of Council is not placed on an agenda.
Delegations
Members of the public may submit a delegation request by contacting Legislative Services or using the Delegation Request Form.
The following applies to any delegation appearing before Council and its Standing Committees, including all Public Meetings:
- Despite the above noted deadlines, delegates wishing to participate electronically must advise of such not later than noon on the business day prior to the meeting.
- A Delegation under 18 years of age must provide to the Clerk written permission from the Delegation's parent or guardian.
- Delegations to Committee have up to 10 minutes to speak; delegations to City Council have a time limit of 5 minutes.
- With the exception of matters considered directly by Council, delegations will be heard by Committee first.
- Delegations who do not appear before the appropriate Committee and wishing to address Council on a matter on the published agenda will require a 2/3 majority vote to be heard.
Petitions
The following information is required for Petitions submitted for consideration:
- It must include the name and contact information for at least one Petition Organizer who will submit the petition on behalf of those signing and will act as the point of contact with the City regarding the Petition.
- Each page of a petition must include the Petition Organizer information as well as a clear statement of purpose or request and a disclaimer concerning the publication of personal information submitted.
- To be considered a Petition, it must include at least 15 legible, unique names with signatures, contact information and their respective municipality of residence.
- Petitions made on third-party websites will not be accepted.
Video Recording and Photography Policy
The City of Oshawa has provided dedicated video recording and photography areas during Council and Committee meetings. The designated areas will ensure that those in attendance, including the public, City staff and Council or Committee Members, can hear and view the meetings.
The Chair of the meeting has authority over video recording and photography. The Chair may request an alternative location or impose additional restrictions if the video recording or photography creates a disruption, interferes with the conduct of the meeting, or limits the ability of others to hear or view the meeting.