Request to Speak Form

Please complete this form if you wish to address a matter scheduled on a General Committee, Development Services Committee or Council meeting agenda and if you wish to receive further notice on planning applications.

We encourage deputants to make their requests to speak in writing to the City Clerk and to address issues at the Committee level first.

The City's Procedural By-law limits all deputations to a maximum of five (5) minutes. Persons may appear as a Deputant before Council or Committee, but not both. A Deputant shall confine their remarks to an item listed on the Agenda.

Please note that Deputants are only allowed in the Zoom online meeting to provide a deputation. Upon completion of your deputation, and if there are no questions from Committee or Council, deputants will be removed from the Zoom online meeting and are directed to continue to listen in to the meeting on the City's website at https://pub-markham.escribemeetings.com/.

To maintain order, Deputants shall not:

1. Address Council without the permission of the Chair.
2. Interrupt any speech or action of the Members or any person addressing Council.
3. Display signs or placards, heckle, clap or jeer at the comments of a Member, a Deputant or staff, or engage in conversation, including use of the Zoom chat function, or other behaviour which may disrupt the proceedings of the Meeting.
4. Use indecent, offensive or insulting language or speak disrespectfully to or about any individual.

Your submission of a “Request to Speak Form” is important however, Council and Committee reserve the right at or before the meeting to determine whether any or all deputations will be heard on any matter. There are few restrictions on your deputation however, in accordance with Council’s Procedural By-law, deputants will not be permitted to:

• Make a request for financial assistance from the City during a Meeting, unless it is an item listed on an Agenda and prescribed by legislation or pursuant to or in accordance with a City-approved program, policy or procedure. Any such Deputants shall be directed to submit a request in writing to the Treasurer and the request will be administered within the context of existing policies and procedures; or,
• Promote products or services for the purpose of soliciting business. Any such Deputants shall be directed to submit a request through the City’s existing procurement procedures; or, Read another individual’s written submission/comments.
• Read another individual's written submission/ comments.

Personal information on this form is being collected pursuant to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and may form part of the public record which may be released to the public in hard copy and/or electronically. Questions about this collection should be directed to Markham's City Clerk, City of Markham, 101 Town Centre Boulevard, Markham, Ontario, L3R 9W3; Phone: 905.477.7000.