How to Get Involved

Coquitlam City Council values community input. There are several ways residents can forward concerns, suggestions and questions to Council.

Attend Council Meetings

All Regular Council meetings are open to public attendance. While Council does not typically hear from the public during Regular Council Meetings, unless it is related to a non-business item of broad interest and it falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Coquitlam (a "Presentation"), there is an opportunity for residents to address questions to Council during Public Question Period, which takes place immediately following adjournment of the Council Meeting.

Delegations, which are individuals or organizations wishing to address Council on a business item of interest to Council, are received at Council-in-Committee Meetings.

Requests to Appear as a Delegation before Council-in-Committee

"Delegation" is the term used to define the process whereby an individual or organization appears before a Standing Committee of Council in order to request an action, to bring Council up to date on an issue/project/idea or to provide information on an issue currently before Council for consideration.

Delegations Policy and Process

Council-in-Committee may hear three delegations per Committee meeting and delegations are accepted on a first come, first served basis. Once the three delegation limit is met, additional requests will be put forward to the next available Committee meeting. Delegations are usually heard at the beginning of the meeting. Each delegation is provided five minutes to make their presentation, after which members of the Committee may or may not ask questions, seek clarification or provide comment with respect to the information presented.

All persons requesting permission to appear before Council-in-Committee are required to submit a Delegation Request Form (PDF) to the City Clerks Office outlining the presentation topic (please note that as a general rule, delegations are not accepted which relate to items which are considered to be outside of the City’s jurisdiction). Forms must be submitted at least seven days prior to the meeting at which the delegation wishes to appear. Please note that these forms are included as part of the Committee Agenda package, which is published on our website.

The Corporate Officer, or designate, will respond to the request by telephone or in writing to confirm the date of the meeting at which the Delegation may appear and whether or not the use of audio visual equipment is required. For further information regarding the delegation process contact the City Clerks Office.

Requests to Make a Presentation to Council

A person or organization may request to make a presentation to Council in relation to a non-business item of broad interest which falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Coquitlam (i.e. to update Council on the activities of a community non-profit association). To request to make a presentation at a Council meeting, please contact the City Clerks Office.

Participate at a Public Hearing

Public Hearings are held to provide the public with an opportunity to convey their views on proposed amendments to the City’s Zoning Bylaw or Official Community Plan Bylaw

Attend a Public Hearing and provide an opinion on the specific topic under discussion.

Submit Written Input

Make a written submission to Council or Committee about a matter on a meeting agenda or within the jurisdiction of the City. Your letter must be addressed to:
Mayor and Council (or Committee, where appropriate)
c/o City Clerks Office
3000 Guildford Way
Coquitlam, BC V3B 7N2

You may also email your letter or comments to the Corporate Officer . Your letter must be signed and include your name and address. Please note that, in most instances, written and email correspondence addressed to Mayor and Council become public documents once received by the City.

Submitting a Petition to Council

A petition is a document addressed to Mayor and Council (or a Committee) and signed by an unspecified number of individuals. In most cases, a petition is a request to provide support or opposition to a matter under debate.

A petition, in order to be considered must:

  • Be addressed to Council (or Committee)
  • State the request (i.e. to support or oppose a matter) on each page of the document
  • Contain the printed names, addresses and signatures of the petitioners making the request
  • Note on each page of the signed petition that petitions received by the City of Coquitlam are deemed to be public records and names and addresses are subject to public disclosure and may be published in a meeting agenda, which is posted on the City’s website, if the matter comes before Council or Committee

Petitions should be submitted to the City Clerks Office (2nd Floor City Hall). You may send an email to the Corporate Officer, however, the original petition must still be submitted to the City Clerks Office.

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