Addressing Council

All delegations requesting permission to appear before Council or Committee of the Whole are required to submit a request including the presentation topic, the purpose of the presentation, and the specific action, if any, being requested of Council.

Council meetings are conducted in a hybrid format, providing members of Council, staff, delegations, and the public the option to participate in person from 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.

To learn about being delegation, how to apply, formalities during meetings, and presentation requirements, read through the Appear as a Delegation webpage before you submit an application.

Should you wish to provide comment at a Council meeting on a matter that appears on that meeting's agenda, you are welcome to speak during the Public Input portion of the meeting.
(To speak during a Public Hearing, please visit: Public Hearings | Municipality of North Cowichan)

• You must register no sooner than thirty (30) minutes, but at least ten (10) minutes prior to the start of the open portion of the meeting by signing up in one of the following ways:
  • In Person - Use the iPad located at the entrance of Council Chambers at Municipal Hall to complete the webform.
  • Online or by Telephone - Complete the webform from any electronic device by visiting: northcowichan.ca/publicinput. If you wish to participate by phone, select “telephone” as your preferred option.
• Speakers are limited to a maximum of three (3) minutes.
• A maximum of five (5) speakers will be heard.

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.

Should you wish to ask a question of Council at a meeting, you are welcome to do so during the Question Period portion of the meeting. Questions are limited to matters on the agenda and must be in the form of a question.

Speakers will be allotted up to 30 seconds each to ask their question, per Council and Committee Procedures Bylaw.

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.

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.

You don't need to attend a meeting to have Council consider your input. Correspondence addressed to Council may be included on a Consent Agenda at a future Council meeting. 

• Email council@northcowichan.ca
• Mail a submission to 7030 Trans-Canada Highway, Duncan, B.C. V9L 6A1
• Drop off your correspondence in person at Municipal Hall, 7030 Trans-Canada Highway

It is recommended that correspondence be submitted at least two (2) weeks prior to the upcoming meeting date in order to be included on the Consent Agenda, as per the Consent Agenda Policy.