Types of City Council meetings

Meetings of Council

Council meetings
Council meetings are formal decision-making meetings.

What you need to know
- Open to the public unless moved to an in-camera meeting.
- Held every second Tuesday at 9:30am. View the meeting schedule
- Attended by the public and all members of Council.
  - Chair: Mayor
What decisions are made in a Council meeting
- Enact by-laws
- Approve budgets and policies
- Authorize City spending and services (infrastructure, facilities, programs)
- Advance Vancouver’s social, economic, and environmental well-being
What a meeting typically includes
- Staff reports
- By-laws
How to participate
- Attend in person or watch live
- Review schedule:
  - Send your comments to Mayor and Council
  - Request to speak at the meeting
Standing committee meetings
Standing committee meetings are held to hear information from staff and the public in a more informal setting.

These committees can only make recommendations. Council makes the final decision at a meeting held immediately after, by voting on whether to approve those recommendations.

What you need to know
- Open to the public.
- Meetings are held on a Wednesday after a Council meeting. Review the meeting schedule
- Send your comment online
- Request to speak at the meeting
- Attended by the public and Mayor and Council
Types of standing committee meetings
- City Finance and Services Standing Committee
- Policy and Strategic Priorities Standing Committee
What is discussed at the meetings
- Staff reports
- Council members’ motions
- A brief Council session immediately follows to ratify recommendations
How to participate
- Attend in person or watch live
- Review schedule:
  - Send your comments to Mayor and Council
  - Request to speak at the meeting
Closed (in-camera) meetings
Closed (in-camera) meetings are confidential sessions for sensitive City business.

What you need to know
- Closed to the public.
- Usually held on the same day as a regular Council meeting.
- Attended by all Council members.
What is discussed in the meeting
- Legal matters
- Land-purchases
- Personnel
- Other confidential matters

Hearings

Public hearings
Public hearings are quasi-judicial to gather public input and make binding decisions.

What you need to know
- Open to the public
- Hearing are scheduled as needed
What decisions are made at a public hearing
- Rezoning applications
- Heritage designations
How to participate
- Attend in person or watch live
- Submit written comments or petitions online or by mail to:
  - City Clerk’s Office
    453 West 12th Ave
    Vancouver, BC V5Y 1V4
- Request to speak at the meeting on a staff report or Council member motion.
Business licence hearings
Business licence hearings are quasi-judicial to gather public input and make binding decisions.

What you need to know
- Open to the public (Attend only if you have been arranged as a witness by Legal Services.).
- Licence hearing are scheduled as required (confirmed by Legal Services).
- Attended by 3-member panel of councillors, appointed by motion.
What decisions are made at a public hearing

Councillors consider whether to suspend or revoke a business licence because of illegal or prohibited activities.

How to participate

Speakers are pre-selected. There is no general “request to speak” option.
Court of revision hearings
Court or revision hearings are quasi-judicial to gather public input and make binding decisions.

What you need to know
- Open to the public.
- Once or twice each year, usually at 6pm on designated weeks.
- Held a minimum of 3 times per year. Review the meeting schedule
What decisions are made at a public hearing

Hear from property owners about errors in the tax roll (for example assessment or calculation mistakes).

How to participate

Request to speak in person by contacting the City Clerk’s Office before the meeting.

Committee meetings

Auditor General Committee meetings
The Auditor General Committee meet as needed to oversee specific functions. Its purpose is to oversee the Auditor General's Office.

What you need to know
- Open to the public.
- Held a minimum of 3 times each year. Review the meeting schedule
How to participate
Mayor’s Budget Task Force Implementation Oversight Committee
The Mayor’s Budget Task Force Implementation Oversight Committee meet as needed to oversee specific functions. It oversees the implementation of Mayor’s Budget Task Force recommendations (9 MB).

What you need to know
- Open to the public.
- Held a minimum of 3 times each year. Review the meeting schedule
How to participate
Nomination Subcommittee
Nomination subcommittee meets as needed to oversee specific functions. It screens applicants for:
- Civic agencies
- Council-appointed bodies
What you need to know
- Open to the public
- Held as needed. Review the meeting schedule
How to participate
- Send your comment online
- Watch the meeting live

Council's role in meetings as regulator and landowner
Council may act in one or more capacities (legislative, quasi-judicial or business) sometimes on the same file.
- Legislative: Enacting by-laws and resolutions
- Quasi-judicial: Tribunal functions (for example, hearings)
- Business: Managing City assets, including land transactions
Conflict management

When Council’s business interests (for example land sale) overlap with legislative decisions (for example rezoning), Councillors must:
- Act in good faith
- Consider the public interest
- Declare any actual or perceived conflicts

Types of City Council meetings

Meetings of Council

Council meetings

Standing committee meetings

Closed (in-camera) meetings

Hearings

Public hearings

Business licence hearings

Court of revision hearings

Committee meetings

Auditor General Committee meetings

Mayor’s Budget Task Force Implementation Oversight Committee

Nomination Subcommittee

Council's role in meetings as regulator and landowner

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