Speak at a City Council meeting about an agenda item

What you need to know

April 4 to May 29 changes to speaking at a meeting

We're testing new ways to improve the experience of speaking at meetings.

For Regular Council and Standing Committee meetings, you can speak for up to 3 minutes. Each Council member can ask you questions for up to 3 minutes.
To speak about a staff report agenda item, you'll present on the day of the meeting.
To speak about a Council member motion, you'll present on Wednesday from 3pm to 10pm at the Standing Committee meeting.

Request to speak

Request to speak online after agendas are announced below, usually one week before meetings.

Council meetings are publicly streamed and recorded.

Meetings you can speak at

Speak to City Council about agenda items at:

Public hearings
Regular Council meetings
- For staff reports, you'll present on the day of the meeting
- For Council member motions, you'll present on Wednesday from 3pm to 10pm at the Standing Committee meeting
Special Council meetings
- Only for agenda items that allow speakers
Standing Committee meetings (City Finance and Services, Policy and Strategic Priorities)
- For staff reports, you'll present on the day of the meeting

Deadlines to request to speak

Public hearings

Online by 5pm on the day of meeting
In-person from 5:30pm to 6pm on the day of the meeting

If you miss the deadline, attend the meeting and raise your hand when the meeting chair calls three times for any other speakers after all registered speakers are heard.

Regular Council, special Council, and Standing Committee meetings

Online by 9:30am or the start of meeting
No requests are taken after the meeting starts

Upcoming meetings

April 23 Regular Council meeting

You can speak about:

Report Reference 1 - Resilient Vancouver Strategy
Administrative Report 1 - Staff Advice on “Emergency Interim Rezoning Policy for Broadway Corridor to UBC” Motion
Administrative Report 2 - Campaign Financing Disclosure Statements for 2018 General Local Election – Failure to File
Administrative Report 3 - Local Improvements – Project List for Consideration – Court of Revision 640
Administrative Report 4 - 6168 East Boulevard – Proposed Closure of a Portion of Street to Accommodate Heritage Building Façade Encroachments
Administrative Report 5 - Closure and Sale of a Portion of Lane Adjacent to 2631 to 2685 Victoria Drive and 1837 to 1853 East 11th Avenue
Administrative Report 6 - Powell Street Overpass – Land Exchanges Between the City, Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
Administrative Report 7 - Empty Homes Tax Revenue – Grant to Network of Inner City Community Services Society (NICCSS) for Vancouver Rent Bank
Policy Report 12 - Consideration of Rezoning Proposal at 1890 Foley Street
Policy Report 13 - Interim 2019 Solid Waste Utility (SWU) Fees Adjustment and By-law Changes
Motion on Notice B.1 - Review of SNC-Lavalin Relationship with the City of Vancouver
Motion on Notice B.2 - Safer Slower Streets: 30 km/h Residential Street Pilot
Motion on Notice B.3 - Requests for Leave of Absence

Council has agreed to trial a number of changes to the way speakers are heard.

Council must agree to hear speakers on these agenda items. If Council agrees to hear speakers on a City staff report, speakers will be heard on the same day as the Regular Council meeting.

If Council agrees to hear speakers on a Motion on Notice, speakers will be heard on Wednesday at the Standing Committee meeting between 3 pm and 10 pm.

For more information on trial changes to hearing speakers and meeting procedures, click here.

Request to speak
View the full agenda

April 24 Standing Committee on City Finance and Services meeting

You can speak about:

Climate Emergency Response
Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy By-laws - Consultation Update
Building Retrofits for Deep Carbon Reductions
Final Report on False Creek Flats Community Panel
2019 Property Taxation: Distribution of Property Tax Levy

Request to speak
View the full agenda

Prepare to speak

Know what to expect by watching our video. It's full of tips and rules to help you prepare.

|
We assign you with a speaker number that shows your position to speak about an agenda item. Numbers are assigned in the order we received requests to speak.

To keep track of agenda items and speaker numbers, follow our @VanCityClerk Twitter account or watch the meeting live online.

It's difficult to predict when it'll be your turn to speak – especially for meetings with a lot of speakers – because:
- Agenda items don't have start times
- Agendas can be changed during the meeting
- Speakers can sign up until the start of the meeting
- Council can ask speakers questions after they present, which can take anywhere from 0 to 33 minutes per speaker (three-minute question period × 11 elected officials = 33 minutes) at Regular Council and Standing Committee meetings. Council members still have 5 minutes each to ask questions during Public Hearings.
After staff and consultants make their presentations, the chair of the meeting invites speakers in the order they registered.

You will have three minutes to address Council – keep your comments concise.

For public hearings only: You have 5 minutes if you speak as an indivudal or 8 minutes on behalf of three or more people or groups. Each person or group representative needs to attend.

State your name, organization (if applicable), position on the recommendation (for or against), and rationale.

After you finish, any member of Council has up to three minutes to ask you questions at Regular Council and Standing Committee meetings and five minutes at Public Hearings.

Council will hear all registered speakers. If many people signed up, you may have to attend more than one meeting before it's your turn.
Email your presentation to us one day before the meeting.
- For regular Council, special Council, and standing committee meetings, email the presentation to speaker.request@vancouver.ca.
- For public hearings, email publichearing@vancouver.ca.
Presentations received after the start of the meeting will not be accepted.

To present from a USB drive or laptop, arrive 30 minutes before the meeting so we can help you set up. For laptops, bring an HDMI cable.

Video and presentations are broadcast on:
- The screen on the east wall of the Council Chamber behind the meeting chair
- The computers that councillors use during meetings
- The screen in the third floor foyer
- The live webcast
Audio is broadcast on:
- The speakers in the Council Chamber and third floor foyer
- The live webcast
Written material

Email any written material for Council to the City Clerk before the meeting starts.
- For regular Council, special Council, and standing committee meetings, email the material to speaker.request@vancouver.ca.
- For public hearings, email publichearing@vancouver.ca.
Use the internet for free at these spots in City Hall.
- Ground Floor: Town Hall meeting rooms
- 3rd Floor: Council Chamber and foyer

Track your turn

We assign you with a speaker number that shows your position to speak about an agenda item.

Speak at a City Council meeting about an agenda item

April 4 to May 29 changes to speaking at a meeting

On this page