Council Meetings

The decision process begins in a meeting of one of our three standing committees:

Community and Infrastructure Services Committee: This is where we consider operational issues in our community services and infrastructure services. Issues that affect programs and services like our roads, traffic calming, recreation programs and facilities, parks, our neighbourhood strategy and our community centres.

Finance and Corporate Services Committee: This is where we consider issues in the finance and corporate services department. This includes our budget, user fees, agreements, contracts, labour relations and licensing.

Planning and Strategic Initiatives Committee: This is where we consider matters from our planning and engineering departments related to City growth like zone changes. We also chart our strategic planning where we select the priorities we need to deliver to you and all Kitchener citizens.

In these meetings staff present a report on an issue that provides recommendations based on the research they did on it and citizen engagement results received. Councillors discuss and debate the report and will vote for or against the recommendation, amend it, or defer it for further clarification and information and consider it again later. If it passes in a Committee meeting, it comes to the next Council meeting where Council members vote for, or against it again.

Council Meetings:

The decisions made by council in each standing committee are put together as a report that is submitted for the next Council Meeting. At the Council meeting Councillors can vote for or against the decisions reached at the standing committee meetings.

At Council Meetings, Councillors also make decisions on other municipal matters like passing bylaws. We also hear from delegations who make presentations on matters before council.

Standing Committee and Council meetings are held on Mondays. You are most welcome to attend any meeting and appear as delegation in any meeting. For the complete listing of Council and Committee meetings and how to register as a delegation please click the appropriate button below. Your participation is always welcomed and appreciated.