Addressing Council in Person or in Writing
There are several ways citizens can address Council: as a delegation, during the public input or question period at a meeting, at a public hearing, or by submitting their views in writing.
Individuals who appear as delegations, submit correspondence or address Council in person or electronically at a meeting should be aware that personal information shared or contained within their communications may become part of the permanent public record and therefore made available through the agenda process which includes publication on the Municipality's website.
Council and Committee of the Whole meetings are recorded and videos are published to the Agendas, Minutes and Video webpage, generally within 24 hours of the meeting.
Appearing as a Delegation
All delegations requesting permission to appear before Council or Committee of the Whole are required to submit a written request including the presentation topic, the purpose of the presentation, and the specific action, if any, being requested of Council.
Meetings of the Municipality of North Cowichan are conducted in a hybrid format, providing members of Council, staff, delegations, and the public the option to participate in person from the Municipal Hall, or by video conference. Meetings are webcast using live streaming video technology and recorded for video-on-demand access for subsequent viewing.
- Council Meetings are generally held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 5:00 p.m.
- Committee of the Whole meetings are generally held on the second Tuesday of the month at 5:00 p.m.
Please refer to North Cowichan’s “A Guide for Delegations to North Cowichan Council” to learn about being delegation, how to apply, formalities during meetings, and presentation requirements.
Schedule of upcoming Council and Committee of the Whole meetings
To appear as a delegation before Council or the Committee of the Whole, please fill out the Delegation Application form and submit it to Legislative Services legislativeservices@northcowichan.ca.
Once the application is received staff will respond to your request as soon as possible. If you are approved as a delegation, you will be scheduled for the first available meeting date.
Should you wish to provide comment at a Council or Committee of the Whole meeting on a matter that appears on that meeting's agenda, you are welcome to speak during Public Input. You must register at least ten (10) minutes prior to the meeting by signing the sheet posted outside of Council Chambers.
Speakers are limited to a maximum of three (3) minutes.
A maximum of five (5) speakers will be heard.
Question Period
Should you wish to ask a question of Council at a meeting, you are welcome to do so during the Question Period. Questions are limited to matters on the agenda and must be in the form of a question.
Please review the meeting conduct guidelines established under the Public Input and Meeting Conduct Policy prior to the meeting when addressing Council during Public Input or the Question Period.
At a Public Hearing
Anyone who believes that their interest in property is affected by a proposed amendment to the Official Community Plan or Zoning Bylaw may express their views at the Public Hearing.
The Mayor will call for submissions from the floor. When this happens, the Mayor will address the audience and ask whether there is anyone present who wishes to address Council on this matter. If you wish to speak, you can step up to the podium (if attending the public hearing in person in Council Chambers) or raise your hand (if attending electronically) and you will be acknowledged and then asked to state your name and address before proceeding with your comments.
The Mayor may establish a time limit for you to speak if there is a large number of people in attendance who wish to be heard. If you run out of time, you may speak a second time once everyone present has had an opportunity to speak for the first time.
Correspondence to Council
You don't need to attend a meeting to have Council consider your input. All correspondence addressed to Council is automatically forwarded to Council and may be included on a consent agenda at a future Council meeting. Legislative Services staff will advise you if your correspondence will appear on a Council meeting agenda.
- Email council@northcowichan.ca
- Mail a submission to 7030 Trans-Canada Highway, Duncan BC V9L 6A1
- Drop information off in person at the front counter at the Municipal Hall, 7030 Trans-Canada Highway
Consent Agenda
Not every submission addressed to Council, though received by Council, will be included in a consent agenda. Generally, correspondence will only be placed on the agenda for information if the author is requesting action or it requires a decision of Council.
Certain types of correspondence has been excluded under the Consent Agenda Policy and will not appear in the Council agenda.
Please be advised that if your correspondence is included in the Consent Agenda, your name will be disclosed for transparency purposes and will be published on North Cowichan's website. All other personal information, such as residential addresses or email addresses, will be redacted from the correspondence prior to inclusion in the Consent Agenda, in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
If you do not wish to have your name disclosed in a public agenda, your submission will not be included in the Consent Agenda as it would be considered anonymous correspondence.
Please contact Legislative Services if you have any questions.
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