Belleville Council meeting agendas are set by Mayor and CAO, unlike other municipalities

In Belleville, meeting agendas for both open and closed council meetings must be approved by the Mayor and CAO:

In preparing a meeting agenda, the Clerk shall consult with the Mayor and the Chief Administrative Officer, and shall reflect the direction of the Mayor and the Chief Administrative Officer in finalizing the meeting agenda.

Section 5.7(2) of the Belleville Procedural Bylaw (By-law 2019-48)

The Clerk simply compiles and publishes the agenda. Councillors are not involved in the agenda setting process. If they want to have a motion added to the next council meeting’s agenda, they must provide written Notice of Motion indicating their intent by:

• (i) filing with the Clerk in writing, no later than 4:30 p.m. on the Tuesday preceding the date of a regular Council Meeting, a proposed resolution that the Member intends to put forward for consideration at the Council Meeting, and such proposed motion shall be included on the meeting agenda; or
• (ii) giving written notice to Council during Notice of Motions that the Member intends at the next Regular Council Meeting to introduce a motion with respect to a maatter so declared.

or raising it during New Business if it is in their opinion that the matters are of urgent concern and within the jurisdiction of Council, or are of general interest. In this approach, it must receive support from a minimum two-thirds of Council to pass.

The Mayor and CAO can add an item to any agenda by telling the Clerk to do so, with no equivalent requirement for transparency and advanced notice.

Other municipalities leave the agenda with the Clerk

Belleville’s bylaw is unusual in that it tells the Clerk to follow the direction of the Mayor and the CAO, not just to consult them. That leaves the Clerk on less independent footing than municipalities that ask the Clerk for “consultation,” and is notable for binding the Clerk to the CAO as well as the Mayor.

Most of the bylaws below give the Clerk more authority and independence. Some have the Clerk prepare the agenda outright. Others ask the Clerk to consult the Mayor or senior staff but leave the agenda in the Clerk’s hands.

Brockville: prepared by Clerk

The Clerk shall prepare and distribute the agenda for the Regular Meeting of Council at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.
Agenda addendums may be issued with less notice, as required.

After delivery of the Agenda, the Clerk may amend the agenda by way of an Addendum.

Correspondence items may be withheld from an agenda if they are considered to be inappropriate or offensive in nature, as determined
by the Clerk in consultation with the Mayor or Chair.

Procedural By-law

Quinte West: prepared by Clerk; in consultation with the appropriate Director for closed meetings

Preparation of the Agenda

(a) Prior to each regular Meeting, the Clerk shall prepare an Agenda of all the business to be brought before such Meeting. The Council
Agenda shall be distributed to Members and posted on the City’s website at least 24 hours before the Meeting.

(b) lf required, the Clerk shall prepare and distribute a Supplementary Agenda of all the business to be brought before a Meeting, at a
minimum of one hour prior to each regular Meeting.

Supplementary Agenda
Requests for items to be added to a Supplementary Agenda shall meet at least one of the following conditions:

• Government/agency deadlines;
• Legal implications;
• Contractual implications;
• Financial implications; or,
• Council or Standing Committee direction.

Meeting Agenda for Closed Sessions

(b) The Clerk shall prepare in consultation with the appropriate Director, and have approved by the Clerk or designate, an Agenda for the Closed Session which shall include a list of items to be considered and shall identify the subsection of the Municipal Act, S.O. 2001 , c.25, as amended, or other applicable legislation, which authorizes each item to be considered at the Closed Session.

Procedural By-law

Peterborough: complied by the Clerk, including staff and committee reports

“Agenda” means the planned business of a Meeting including as set out in sections 19 and 20.

19. The business of a Meeting of Council will be undertaken in the following order unless otherwise decided by a Majority Vote at the Meeting:

h) reports of Committees;

20. The business of a Meeting of a Committee will be taken in the following order unless otherwise decided by a Majority Vote at the Meeting:

h) reports of City staff organized by City Department;

A Special Meeting may be held subject to the following:
a) notice of the request for the Special Meeting is given to the City Clerk by the Mayor or by a majority of Members;
b) the notice of the request includes particulars of one or more proposed Agenda items;
c) subject to paragraph d), at least 48 hours’ notice of the Agenda for the Special Meeting is given by the City Clerk to each Member and to the public;
d) where the notice of the request is given by the Mayor or by at least two-thirds of the Members, the Special Meeting may be held with fewer than 48 hours’ notice of the Agenda for the Special Meeting; and
e) the Special Meeting is held within the City.

Toronto: prepared by Clerk, Mayor may add new business to the agenda

Clerk prepares agenda.

The Clerk, consulting with the Mayor-elect, prepares the agenda for the first meeting.

The Clerk is the meeting manager of Council and of all committees, and may assign any of the Clerk’s duties to an employee in the Clerk’s office.

The Clerk is responsible for:

(2) Managing agenda and meeting notices.
Preparing, publishing, and distributing an agenda for each meeting, and providing appropriate notice.

(5) Managing agenda additions or removals.
Informing the Chair and Council or committee when items need to be added to or removed from the agenda.

The Clerk prepares an agenda for all Council meetings.

Mayor’s authority to add new business.
The Mayor may add new business to the agenda of a Council meeting without first submitting the matter to the relevant Council Committee if the Mayor has met the regular agenda deadlines.

Council Procedures

Kingston: prepared by Clerk in consultation with senior management

4.12 The City shall appoint a City Clerk by bylaw who shall:

1. record, without note or comment, all Resolutions, decisions and other proceedings of Council;
2. record the name and vote of every Member voting on any matter or question;
3. keep the originals or copies of all bylaws and of all minutes of the proceedings of Council;
4. carry out other duties of the Clerk required under the Act or any other applicable legislation and other duties assigned by Council to the Clerk;
5. prepare the Agendas in electronic format;
6. make Agendas available to the public and media following distribution to Members;
7. consult with senior management of the City to ensure that the administrative processes related to Agenda preparation and distribution are comprehensive, efficient and cost-effective;

Procedural By-law

Prince Edward County: prepared by Clerk in consultation with the CAO and Mayor

The Clerk shall be responsible for the management and coordination of Meeting agendas and related resolutions, By-laws, correspondence and records, and allow for public access to the same in accordance with the Municipal Act, the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and other pertinent legislation.

5.8. Meeting Agendas
(1) The Clerk shall prepare a meeting agenda for each meeting in consultation with the CAO, and Mayor or Presiding Officer, as the case may be, what matters may be included on an agenda.

Procedural By-law

Ottawa: prepared by Clerk under the direction of the Mayor

The City Clerk or designate shall, under the direction of the Mayor, prepare for the use of the Members at the regular meetings of Council an agenda under the following headings: …

The business of the Council shall be considered in the order set forth on the Agenda, provided however that the Mayor, with approval of the Council, may vary the order of business to better deal with matters before the Council.

Procedural Bylaw