What you need to know about … Public Meetings!
Is there a new development proposed for your neighbourhood? Want to learn more about it and have your say before any decisions are made? It will be coming to a City of Vaughan Committee of the Whole Public Meeting where you can share your thoughts.
If this will be your first experience participating in a public meeting, here’s what you need to know:
The purpose of a Public Meeting is to inform and request feedback from Vaughan Council and you, members of the community. No decisions are made during these meetings. At the meeting, landowners who have submitted a planning application will have the opportunity to share their plans with the public, Members of Council may comment or ask questions, and residents who registered to speak may do so when called upon. All feedback received will be compiled into a report to be presented at a future Committee of the Whole meeting – this is where a recommendation on the application is made. It is then forwarded to the next Council meeting so the decision can be ratified.
At the start of each Public Meeting, a video is played so attendees understand the intent of the meeting, how it will flow and what happens next.
Don’t know when the next Public Meeting is taking place? A full schedule is available online at vaughan.ca/CouncilMeetings and you can watch the live stream at vaughan.ca/LiveCouncil.
How you can participate
Public feedback is a vital part of the planning process and there are many ways to have a say before applications are approved. Here are four ways you can get involved in a public meeting:
- Learn more about the application. Review the public notice and learn more about the development proposal on PLANit, the City’s application tracking platform, available at vaughan.ca/maps.
- Speak to Council during a Committee of the Whole Public Meeting. You can participate by speaking live in person, via teleconference or from a telephone (regular landline or cellphone), or by submitting a written communication as part of an agenda item. Pre-register to speak at an upcoming Public Meeting by sending a completed Request to Speak form to clerks@vaughan.ca or calling Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281. Written communications should be emailed to the Office of the City Clerk at clerks@vaughan.ca. Requests must be received by noon on the business day before the meeting.
- Speak directly with your local Councillor. You may telephone or email comments directly to Members of Council. For details on how to contact a Member of Council, visit vaughan.ca/council.
- Contact the City planner directly. You may contact the planner on file by phone, email or letter. Contact details are found on the Public Meeting notice sent by mail or can be provided by contacting Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or service@vaughan.ca.
In most cases, only those who make an oral submission at a public meeting or a written submission to Council before a decision is made are entitled to appeal the decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal or be added as a party in an appeal hearing. Learn more about how you can get involved.
Vaughan’s planning process
City building doesn’t happen overnight. Well before construction begins, developments undergo a careful review by City of Vaughan staff, Vaughan Council, public agencies (such as the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, York Region and provincial ministries, where appropriate) … and you!
Under the provincial Planning Act, Vaughan Council is mandated to review all planning applications that are formally submitted to the City. Many factors beyond Vaughan Council can dictate how an application proceeds, including plans, policies and legislation from regional and provincial levels of government.
Want to learn more about how the City plans? Visit vaughan.ca/PlanningProcess, review this digital step-by-step guide (PDF) or watch this video.
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