Here's a short guide on how to follow items on the City Council agenda on December 16.
We are working to improve the provision of online information about City Council and its committees.
We are doing things a little differently since we put our legislative database online at toronto.ca/council on December 1. Please bear with us as we adjust our meeting routines.
Here's how to follow along:
1. Rogers TV and stream
You can watch the meeting live on Rogers Cable TV or on the stream they provide at rogerstv.com. Here's a direct link.
2. Twitter
We will be providing updates on major milestones - @torontocouncil. We will use the hashtag #tocouncil.
3. toronto.ca/council
You can follow the meeting by navigating to the agenda here.
(Wireless devices will default to a mobile view that does not contain all the features described here, but can be switched to a desktop view)
Here are some features:
Item Status
The status of the agenda items will be listed in the right hand column. (See the handy guide to item statuses below)
Item View
Click on the agenda item number to get the whole history and background of the item. The recommendations, background reports and any other related links will appear.
You can bookmark the item and revisit later if you wish. When you revisit the item, it will be updated with any new information.
This includes motions and votes, and in some cases preliminary decisions.
Map View
Check out our new map view of location-based agenda items by clicking 'Map'.
Meeting Monitor
If you prefer a self-refreshing, scrolling picture of the meeting's progress, check out the Meeting Monitor link at the top of the agenda. It will launch a new window that you can leave open on your desktop.
4. Comment on an item
When viewing the detailed agenda item, a button named "Submit Comments" appears if Council has not yet debated the item. Click the button to launch an email and send your comments to the Clerk for distribution to Members. If the button is not there, it means Council has finished with the item.
Read the disclaimers about personal information carefully - if you send an email, it becomes part of the permanent, public record.
A Word on Timing
Did we mention this is a new arrangement? We ask for your patience when it comes to updating items and releasing motions and votes in particular.
Supplementary documents
We will be uploading supplementary reports, presentations and some correspondence that are distributed to Members of Council as soon as possible after it has been distributed. We will note the additional material next to the item on the agenda.
We will not be uploading correspondence from people acting in a personal capacity, although that correspondence is public and available on request or for inspection at our offices. We have not quite resolved the privacy issues with webposting of personal correspondence.
Motions and Votes
We will be pushing out motions and votes on topical and newsworthy items as soon as we can after Council has finished considering an item. That could be 10 minutes or it could be an hour, depending on what else is going on in the meeting and how complex the motions are.
For routine, non controversial items, we may not push out the motions and votes until we publish draft minutes in the days after a meeting.
Item Statuses (Stati?)
As promised, here's what the item statuses mean on the agenda and Meeting Monitor:
- Held - The item is 'held' for debate in agenda order. The Member who held the item is listed and is entitled to question or speak first unless the Mayor or committee chairs exercises their right to speak first.
- Adopted - Council has adopted the recommendations before it without amendment.
- Adopted on Consent - Council has adopted the recommendations without debate, and without amendment
- Amended - Council amended the recommendations before adopting them.
- Deferred - Council has postponed consideration of the item to a future meeting
- Referred - Council has referred the item to a committee or official for further study or action
- Received - Council has received the recommendations for information only and will take no further action on them.
Many people have asked us about public wi-fi in the Council Chamber. Stay tuned: we will have an exciting announcement very soon (but not in time for the December 16 meeting though.)
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