What is a Delegation?
A delegation is the formal term for an individual or group who appear before Council (or a Council Committee) in order to:
- make a presentation on a matter that falls within the jurisdiction of the Town;
- enter a request for action;
- initiate interest or guidance to a solution for an item of public concern;
- bring Council up to date on a project, idea, or concept; or
- provide further information on an issue currently before Council for a decision.
You may request the opportunity to speak at a Council meeting by completing a Delegation Request Form. See sections 6.9 and 12 of the Procedural Bylaw for details on delegations.
Note: A delegation request form is not necessary to speak at a public hearing.
Correspondence (Alternative to Delegation)
If you prefer, you may write a letter or email to Council via our Town Manager instead of appearing as a delegation. Please see the information below in "What is the Process?" The deadline, contact information, and approval process is the same for correspondence as delegations, however, no form is required. If your correspondence is added to an agenda package, it will become part of the public record, so please keep this in mind when submitting your correspondence. See section 6.10 of our Procedural Bylaw for details on correspondence.
What is the Process? How do I Apply?
- Submit the Delegation Request Form to the Town Manager no later than 4 p.m. on the Wednesday preceding the regular Council meeting at which you would like to appear. If you have a presentation you wish to include in the public agenda package, please provide a copy of your presentation to the Town Manager no later than 4 p.m. on the Wednesday preceding the meeting. (See more in the Presentation Tips section below.)
- Information on council meeting schedules can be found on our Council Meetings page.
- You may forward your request to the Town Manager:
- via email: cao@bonaccord.ca
- via mail or hand delivery: Town of Bon Accord, Box 779, 5025 50th Avenue AB, T0A 0K0
- Delegations are scheduled at the discretion of the Town Manager and are subject to:
- the volume of material on any given agenda
- the number of requests for a specific meeting date and urgency of request
- subject matter
- Not all delegation requests will be approved. In some cases your request may be directed to a Council Committee or to staff.
- Upon approval, the Town Manager or designate will contact you with further details including the meeting date and your scheduled time. Meeting proceedings, presentation materials and equipment can be discussed at this time.
Note: the Delegation Request form and related documents become part of the public record and will be released and published in the agenda and minutes that are available to the public in a variety of methods.
Presentation Tips
Submit written information early
Meeting agenda packages are distributed on the Friday afternoon preceding the meeting so that Council has time to thoroughly review their information and prepare questions before the meeting. Provide a copy of your presentation to the Town Manager no later than 4 p.m. on the Wednesday preceding the meeting.
Structure your presentation
You have a maximum of fifteen (15) minutes to speak.
- Introduce yourself and briefly describe your relationship to the issue. For example, you may be representing a group or you may live in or near an area where a problem is occurring.
- State your topic. If you are requesting action to address a certain issue, describe the issue and the action you wish Council to take. If you are requesting funding, state the amount and purpose of funding.
- Provide background information when appropriate. For instance, you may want to talk about how long the issue has been going on or how you or your organization has been affected. For funding requests, it is a good idea to provide your budget information and other revenue you have or are pursuing.
- Presentations. If you require a laptop to assist with your presentation, please contact the Town Manager prior to the meeting.