Communicating with Council

Ramara Council has adopted an updated procedure bylaw that will take effect on April 1, 2025. Please note that webpages will be updated to reflect the new changes.

The Township of Ramara is committed to open and accessible government. Council encourages public participation in its decision-making process.

There are several ways to communicate with Council:

Deputation
Presentation
Open Forum
Formal Petition
Email or telephone members of Council

Deputation/Presentation

A deputation is an oral presentation to Council by residents, community groups or any interested party.

Deputation Guidelines

When presenting a deputation or presentation to Council, it must follow the guidelines set out in the Procedural Bylaw that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Topics are limited to items of concern to Council as determined by the Clerk in consultation with the Mayor. This can include items on the current or previous Council or Committee agendas.
Length of a deputation is no more than ten (10) minutes in length.
Members of Council may ask questions, through the Chair, to the presenter following the completion of the presentations.

Presentation Topics

Must be within municipal jurisdiction;
No promotion of products or services;
No obscene or defamatory content;
You may not present on the same subject more than once within the same calendar year;

Presentation Tips

Highlight key points;
Be specific about what you are asking for;
Address Council through the Chair (Mayor Clarke);
Provide detailed presentation material to the Clerk at least 6 days prior to the meeting date.

If you want to provide a deputation to Council, you must complete the following steps:

Submit a completed deputation request form.
- This needs to be done as soon as possible to reserve your spot on an upcoming agenda.
- The Legislative Services department will review the request and follow up on the request within two business days.
Send your detailed presentation material to the Legislative Services department by 9 a.m. on the Wednesday prior to the meeting where you are scheduled to make your presentation.

If you have questions regarding speaking to Council, please contact our Legislative Services Department.

Submit a Deputation Request Form

Open Forum

Open Forum is held during regular Council meetings where the public may provide comments to Council about an agenda item on the current Council or the previous Committee of the Whole meeting.

Open Forum is open for 10 minutes, wherein participants will have one minute to make their statement. Members of Council will not engage but will consider your comments when the item comes to a vote.

Open Forum Guidelines

Open Forum must follow the guidelines set out in the Procedural Bylaw that includes, but not limited to, the following:

All comments are to be addressed through the Mayor or Chairperson.
Members and staff shall not be engaged in a debate or discussion during Open Forum.
No motion shall be made during Open Forum as a result of comments made other than matters of procedure as outlined in the bylaw.
During Open Forum, no member of the public shall:
- Speak disrespectfully of any person;
- use offensive language;
- disobey the rules or procedure or a decision of the Mayor or Chairperson; or
- speak to Council about matters:
  - involving current or pending litigation;
  - involving insurance claims;
  - administrative complaints that have not been reported and investigated through the Customer Service process
  - beyond the jurisdiction of Council; or
  - contrary to MFIPPA

To reserve your spot, participants must register online or by contacting the Legislative Services department.

Open Forum Registration

Petitions

A petition is a public document presented by the community to Council to voice their opinion on an issue of municipal importance. It is a great way to express support or objection to a matter that Council is considering; however, petition organizers should diligently fulfill the petition requirements to ensure their petition is considered valid before being submitted to the clerk and presented to Council.

Submitting a Petition

Using the Petition Template is good way to ensure your petition contains everything required.

Petitions must contain:

The details of the 'petition request.'
contact information for each signer
contact information for the organizer of the petition

A completed petition can be submitted online or in person to the Legislative Service Department.

Submit Petition Online

Petitions will be refused by the Clerk if they:

Involve current or pending litigation;
Involve insurance claims;
Involve administrative complaints that have not been reported and investigated through the administrative process;
Is beyond the jurisdiction of Council; or
Is contrary to the provision of the Municipal Freedom of Information ad Protection of Privacy Act.

Email or telephone members of Council

The public can submit correspondence to members of Council by telephone or email.

Contact Council

Committee and Council meetings

Learn more about the types of meetings, agendas and minutes, meeting calendar and more.

Learn more about Committee and Council meetings