Speak Before Council

Delegations to a Committee, Council, or Public Input Meeting

A delegation is a person or group who would like to speak at a Regional Committee or Council meeting regarding an issue or concern that is important to them or their community, and who would like to share their opinions or point of view with Councillors before a decision is made.

You are encouraged to first contact Regional staff to discuss your concerns. If you do not know who you should speak with, call 519-575-4400 and a Customer Service Representative can assist you. Some issues may not need a decision by Regional Council and yours may be one which can be resolved at the staff level.

Registration

To register as a delegation for any Committee or Council meeting please fill out the online registration form .

You can also register as a delegation in person by visiting the Clerk's office at:

Regional Municipality of Waterloo Administration Building, 150 Frederick Street, 2nd Floor, Kitchener.

Register to Speak Contact Us for Assistance

When and Where Regional Council and Committees Meet

You can find the dates of when council meets on the Council Calendar. All formal communication requests must be directed to the Regional Clerk's Office, Council and Administrative Services.

Registration Deadlines

Delegation registration deadlines are set in the Region's Procedural By-law. To make sure your name is listed on the regular agenda as circulated, delegation registration should be received by noon one week before the meeting.
We recognize that this is not always possible. In these cases delegations must register 24 hours before the meeting start time to receive the full time allowed for speaking. Where possible these names will be listed on the Addendum agenda that is released the day before the meeting.
Delegations who register after these deadlines may still be heard, but shall be limited to a total maximum of three (3) minutes.
When you register, please be prepared to provide your full name (and the name of your business or organization if appropriate), address, daytime phone number, e-mail address if you have one, and the topic you want to speak to Regional Councillors about. If you have received a letter or saw advertising, it is helpful to give this information as well.
You can register as a group or as an individual.

Review the Quick Reference Guide

General Delegation Guidelines

Any delegates that have registered by the deadline shall be given five (5) minutes to speak
Supporting documents must be received 24 hours in advance of the meeting
Electronic presentations must be submitted at least 24 hours in advance (12 slides maximum), otherwise will not be permitted
Direct your communications to the Chair
All communications should be confined to the stated business
Organized groups should consider designating a spokesperson
Please note that a group is considered a single delegation and shall be given five (5) minutes to speak
Multiple individuals speaking on the same issue should avoid repeating and provide new information only
Any delegation who has appeared at a Council, Committee, or Public Input meeting regarding a particular matter will not be allowed to delegate on that same matter for six (6) months; further submissions on the same matter can be submitted in writing to the Regional Clerk's Office, Council and Administrative Services