Interested parties can attend meetings in-person or through electronic participation (via the MsTeams link). In-person seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For further information on viewing and providing feedback at Council meetings and Committee of the Whole meetings, please refer to the meeting agenda at saanich.ca/agendas. If you have questions, please contact the Legislative Services division at 250-475-5501 or council@saanich.ca.
To register to participate by MsTeams in the Public Input portion of the Council or Committee of the Whole Agenda or at the Open Forum portion of a Committee of the Whole meeting, please email council@saanich.ca or telephone 250-475-5501 and state your name, address and the date of the meeting at which you wish to speak. You must have access to a telephone, provide a telephone number that can be used to contact you, and an email address where instructions can be sent to you. The registration deadline is 12:00 p.m. noon on the day of the meeting.
An opportunity to provide input via MS Teams during the meeting will be available; please watch the web stream for details or look for the link at the top of the page at www.saanich.ca/agendas. All meetings are streamed live at www.saanich.ca/agendas
Public input correspondence is also accepted via email at council@saanich.ca or received in the Municipal Hall mailbox up until noon on the day of the meeting.
Procedures
The Council Procedure Bylaw establishes the rules for conducting Council and Committee business. The Committee of the Whole Terms of Reference is a helpful tool in understanding its role in meetings of Council.
You will find details about participating in the meetings of Council at: Addressing Council.
Council and Committee of the Whole Meetings
Council meets at 7:00 p.m. on Monday evenings. The public may attend Council, Committee of the Whole, Special Council and Special Committee of the Whole meetings. The public may not attend In Camera meetings which generally deal with property transactions, personnel matters and legal matters as outlined in the Community Charter.
Please note: Meetings of Council are webcast via live video feed on the District website. Your image and personal opinions may be collected and disclosed as part of Council proceedings. Information on our webcasting can be found here.
Council Town Hall Meetings
In accordance with the 2023-2027 Strategic Plan, Council is initiating a public engagement strategy through town hall meetings. Council Town Hall meetings are held tri-annually at to be determined off-site locations.
Meeting Structure:
- First hour:
- Residents are invited to speak on topics of importance.
- Input will be governed by the Council Procedure Bylaw, which allows a maximum of 3 minutes per speaker.
- Second hour:
- Informal engagement opportunities for residents to connect individually with Council members.
Additional Details:
- Webcasting/Remote Participation: Not available for this off-site meeting
For any inquiries or further clarifications, please contact the Legislative Services Division.
During the first hour of Council Town Hall meetings, individuals have up to 3 minutes each to address Council. The intent is for Council to listen to residents feedback.
These are the topics which are not permissible. This includes a matter:
- that must be or has been considered by Council at a closed meeting under the authority of Section 90 of the Community Charter; (IN CAMERA MATTERS)
- that is before the courts or for which legal action is being pursued or is pending; (LEGAL MATTERS)
- that is or has been the subject of a claim for damages against the District; (LEGAL OR INSURANCE CLAIMS)
- that is or has been the subject of bylaw enforcement action by the District; (BYLAW ENFORCEMENT)
- that has been the subject of a public hearing held in accordance with an enactment is a pre-requisite to the adoption of a Bylaw; (PUBLIC HEARING APPLICATIONS)
- that involves an application before the Board of Variance that is pending or has been decided; (BOARD OF VARIANCE APPLICATIONS)
- that is or has been the subject of an appeal under Part 9 of the Council Procedure Bylaw or reconsideration under Sections 6 or 28 of the Bylaw with the exception of a Remedial Action Order; (REMEDIAL ACTION ORDERS)
- that involves an application that will be or has been considered under the Saanich Community Grant Program Policy; (FUNDING GRANT APPLICATIONS)
- that has been referred to committee or staff; (ITEMS REFERRED TO A COMMITTEE OR STAFF)
- a matter that involves an application, project or other initiative that will be or has been dealt with through another process under the Council Procedure Bylaw or the Land Use and Development Procedures Bylaw. (DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS / AGENDA ITEMS)
As with all input at Council, speakers can not provide any third-party information (for example, talk about others) as they could be disclosing other people’s personal information without their consent.
Public Hearings
A Public Hearing is a Special Council meeting held to consider:
- Amendments to the Zoning Bylaw and Official Community Plan (OCP);
- Proposed heritage designations;
- Development Permits, development variance permits, temporary commercial/industrial use permits or restrictive covenants accompanying Zoning or OCP amendments;
- Amendments to Land Use Contracts
Public Hearings are scheduled on Tuesday evenings or during a regular Council meeting.
Public Hearing Rules and Procedures
At a Public Hearing, any person present who believes that he or she is affected by a proposed bylaw and/or permit has the chance to speak or to present a written submission. You do not have to register to speak at a Public Hearing.
Each speaker will be allowed up to five minutes to address Council regarding the project under consideration. This allows Council the opportunity to hear from all members of the public in a timely manner. Individuals may address Council a second time for up to five minutes with new information once all first-time speakers have had an opportunity to speak.
If you don't want to speak at the hearing or simply cannot attend, you may submit a letter by mail or e-mail. Council will receive all correspondence sent by 12:00 noon on the date of the meeting.
Special rules apply to public hearings. Once Council has heard all input on an application, they are not permitted to consider anything further.
Council Agendas are available on our website on the Thursday prior to the meeting date.
Committee, Board and Commission Meetings
To listen to advisory committees, standing committees, board, and commission meetings, please refer to the applicable committee page for further information.