HAVE OPINIONS? SPEAKING AT DELEGATIONS OR OPEN FORUM

This blog post is part of my series, Civic Citizens Series on Communication. It aims to help Grey Highlands residents communicate better with our municipality.

This blog series, Civic Citizen Series: Communications has two parts.

Part One: Grey Highlands Speaks to you

• Social Media and the The Grey Highlands App

• The Grey Highlands Website and the Community Calendar

Part Two: You Speak to your Municipality

• Connect Grey Highlands (Staff)

• Complaints and Service Requests: Complaints Form or Service Requests Form (Staff)

• Presenting to Council: Delegation (Council) or Open Forum (Council)

This posts discusses the two types of ways the public can "talk" to Council and gives you tips on how to communicate your issue.

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Read the Previous Post in this Series

Giving your Feedback Directly to Council

Whereas, (sorry about the "resolution" talk) the first part of this blog series was about the municipality "taking to" the public, the second part explores how the public can "speak to" both Council and/or municipal staff.

BACK TO TOP

Council receives information during a meeting from the public in one of two ways:

• Delegation

• Open Forum

The allowed behaviours in either a Delegation or in Open Forum are spelled out in the Procedural By-Law.

TIPS ON PRESENTING TO COUNCIL AT A COUNCIL MEETING

- Complete the paperwork on time.
- Have something to talk to, for example, a PowerPoint or a handout. 
- Make your ask clear, for example, you want $800 for a new swing set for the Maxwel Park, right from the get-go.
- Reach out (email works well for this) before hand for questions from Council (or Staff).
- Start your presentation with an introduction and your ask. (Follow the Tell me what you are going to say; Tell it; Tell me what you said. The "it" here is your ask, i.e. the $800 for the swing set.) 
- Conclude your presentation with your ask, again.
- Be confident in the knowledge that Council feels just as awkward at the end of the presentation as you do. The GH Procedural By-Law like most, doesn't allow the public to ask questions of Council or respond with anything other than a questions for clarity.
- Follow up to Council with an email. Expect only the mayor (if anyone) to respond.

DISCLAIMER The staff at The Municipality of Grey Highlands are experts in their respective fields. If something here is different than staff's advice, always follow staff's direction. And, then please email me at danivaliquette@gmail.com with what I got wrong.

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