Public Notices

Notice must be given prior to the public hearing and published in accordance with section 165 of Cities, Towns and Villages Act in one or more of the following ways:

• by inserting the notice at least once in a newspaper circulating in the municipality;
• by mailing or delivering a copy of the notice to the household of each adult resident in the municipality;
• by causing announcements to be made on a radio or television station received in the municipality on at least three separate days;
• by posting a notice in at least five widely separated and conspicuous places in the municipality.

Residents are welcome and encouraged to participate at public hearings and to provide comments by emailing cityclerk@yellowknife.ca.  For example, in a public hearing about land use, written and verbal comments to Council about the proposed land use should explain your support or opposition on the issue and how the proposed land use will affect you.

Council follow the rules in Council Procedure By-law No. 4975, as amended. Section 38 to 46 explain the process for statutory public hearings.

Written submissions must be provided by 4:30 p.m. on the Wednesday before the statutory public hearing to the City Clerk, Yellowknife City Hall, P.O. Box 580, Yellowknife, NT, X1A 2N4; e-mailed to cityclerk@yellowknife.ca; or faxed to (867) 920-5649.

Written submissions submitted for consideration at the public hearing may be inspected by the public at the Office of the City Clerk at City Hall during regular office hours. Please note, those written submissions, including names and addresses, will become part of the public record available for public inspection and on the City's website as part of the agenda package.

Any person wishing to make a verbal submission at the meeting is asked to contact the Office of the City Clerk at 920-5646 before noon on the day of the hearing.

If a person is unable to attend the public hearing, that person may authorize someone else to speak on their behalf.  This authorization must: be in writing, name the individual authorized to speak, indicate the proposed by-law to be spoken to, be signed by the person giving authorization, and be received at the Office of the City Clerk before noon of the day of the Public Hearing.

NOTE:

Submissions from members of public normally include information such as name, address, phone numbers, and possibly opinions and other personal information. Personal information provided in submissions relating to public hearings is collected for the purpose of receiving public participation in municipal decision-making and scheduling speakers for Council or Council Committee meetings. All materials submitted for Council consideration at the public hearing form part of the public record and will be available for public viewing.

Council Procedure By-law No. 4975, as amended, provides that Public Hearings will be conducted in the following manner: 

INTRODUCTION OF BY-LAW(S)

(1) the Presiding Officer shall introduce the proposed by-law;

WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS

(2) the Presiding Officer shall inform Council of the number and nature of the written submissions received in accordance with Section 43;

10 MINUTE LIMITATION ON PRESENTATIONS

(3) no person shall speak for more than ten minutes unless an extension is granted by resolution of Council;

THOSE OPPOSED SHALL BE HEARD FIRST

(4) individuals opposed to the proposed by-law who have given notice of their intention to speak pursuant to Section 41 shall be invited to speak first by the Chair followed by those opposed to the proposed by-law who have not given notice pursuant to Section 41;

THOSE IN FAVOUR SHALL BE HEARD SECOND

(5) individuals in favour of the proposed by-law who have given notice of their intention to speak pursuant to Section 41 will then be invited to speak followed by those in favour of the proposed by-law who have not given notice pursuant to Section 41;

QUESTIONS TOWARD PRESENTERS

(6) after a person has spoken, any Member may ask that person questions followed by any other person present, provided such questions are relevant, directed through the Presiding Officer and are asked in a courteous and respectful manner;

QUESTIONS TOWARD ADMINISTRATION

(7) after all persons who wish to speak have been heard, Members may ask relevant questions of the City Administrator through the Presiding Officer who may then refer the question to the appropriate Director or other member of City Administration, or answer the question him or herself;

RESPONSE TO NEW INFORMATION

(8) any person who has made a submission shall have an opportunity to respond to any new information that has arisen during the Statutory Public Hearing for a period not exceeding two minutes unless an extension is granted by resolution of Council;

CLOSE OF HEARING

(9) the Presiding Officer shall then close the Statutory Public Hearing.

NO FURTHER PRESENTATIONS ACCEPTED AFTER CLOSE OF HEARING

46 (1) Once the Presiding Officer has closed a Statutory Public Hearing with respect to the proposed by-law, no additional submissions shall be considered by Council, except at an additional Public Hearing called by Council in accordance with this by-law.

After the Public Hearing

CONSIDERATION OF SUBMISSIONS