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How to Participate in Public Hearings:
Rocky View County Council meetings are open to the public to attend and participate. Residents and interested or affected parties are welcome and encouraged to attend meetings and to participate when matters under considered by Council interest or affect them.
Some matters considered at Council meetings are public hearings as outlined in the Municipal Government Act, particularly regarding planning and development matters. If you believe you are affected by a matter being considered at a public hearing, you have the opportunity to be heard.
Public hearings are generally held in the following order for planning and development matters:
- opening of the public hearing
- staff report by Administration
- presentation by the applicants - As of January 1, 2025, applicants will have 10 minutes for their initial presentations and 5 minutes for rebuttal presentations.
- questions from Council to Administration and the applicants
- presentations in support of the application
- presentations with concerns or in opposition of the application
- rebuttal by the applicants
- final questions from Council to Administration
- closing of the public hearing
After a public hearing has been closed, Council generally proceeds to debate the merits of the matter being considered and renders a decision, which may be to approve or refuse the application, make amendments or revisions to the application, or to refer the matter for further collaboration or investigation.
When participating in a public hearing, your name and address will be made available to the public and your comments will form part of the public record. Anonymous public hearing submissions, or submissions without an address, are not accepted or considered by Rocky View County.
Note: Rocky View County Council meetings and public hearings are held in the Council Chambers of the County Hall.
Public Hearing Participation Methods:
Rocky View County provides residents and interested parties with a variety of options for participating in public hearings, as not everyone is able to attend a public hearing in person. Those looking to provide comments on a public hearing matter may do so through the following methods:
- in-person presentation
- electronic presentation (via Microsoft Teams)
- written Submission
- pre-recorded audio/video submission
All residents and interested parties are permitted to provide a written submission as well as one of either a pre-recorded audio/video submission; an in-person presentation; or an electronic presentation (via Microsoft Teams). If you provide a pre-recorded audio/video presentation, you will not be permitted to present in-person or electronically.
No matter which public hearing participation method you choose, Rocky View County’s Procedure Bylaw requires the following information to be provided in your presentation or submission:
- the name of the person providing the submission and how they are affected by the subject of the public hearing, preferably with a statement of whether they are in support, in opposition, or have concerns with the subject of the public hearing;
- an indication of where the person lives in proximity to the subject of the public hearing, preferably in the form of a municipal address or legal land description; and
- the names, if any, of any additional people that the submission is on behalf of.
All public hearing submissions and presentations are grouped into one of the following categories: in support, in opposition, or in concern. If you do not indicate whether you are in support, in opposition, or in concern, Rocky View County will group your submission or presentation into the category that best fits.
Presenting in Person
If you wish to speak in support, in concern, or in opposition to a public hearing matter, you may make an in-person presentation at the public hearing at the County Hall on the date and time indicated on the public hearing notice, which are mailed to residents in the area and are available on the County’s website.
Public hearing presentations are limited to five minutes for individuals and 10 minutes for groups, subject to a resolution from Council to extend the presentation time limit. As part of your presentation, you will be required to provide your name and an indication of where you live in proximity to the public hearing matter.
If your presentation includes written or visual components, you must bring a digital copy or 15 physical copies for distribution to the public hearing. Any materials you provide at the public hearing will be retained by the County to be saved in the public record.
Note: There will be a signup sheet as you enter the Council Chambers to attend the public hearing. If you wish to speak in support, in opposition, or in concern, please register on the signup sheet prior to the start of the public hearing to ensure your place in the speaking list. The signup sheet is used to determine the order of speakers at the public hearing.
If you forget or are unable to register on the signup sheet in advance, you will still be provided an opportunity to speak at the public hearing. After those who registered on the signup sheet have presented, those who have not registered on the signup sheet beforehand will be offered an opportunity to speak.
Presenting Electronically (via Microsoft Teams)
STARTING JANUARY 1, 2025
If you are unable to attend a public hearing at the County Hall and wish to speak in support, in concern, or in opposition to a public hearing matter, you may make an electronic presentation at the public hearing via Microsoft Teams by submitting a request to Legislative Services at legislativeservices@rockyview.ca or 403-230-1401.
Requests to present electronically must be received by Legislative Services prior to the date and time indicated on the public hearing notice, which are mailed to residents in the area and are available on the County’s website.
Once Legislative Services has received your request, you will be provided a Microsoft Teams link and instructions on when and how to join the public hearing electronically. Electronic presenters must ensure that their cameras and microphones are on mute at all times except for when they are presenting.
Public hearing presentations are limited to five minutes for individuals and 10 minutes for groups, subject to a resolution from Council to extend the presentation time limit. As part of your presentation, you will be required to provide your name and an indication of where you live in proximity to the public hearing matter.
If your presentation includes written or visual components, you may share them using the screen share function on Microsoft Teams. Any materials you share at the public hearing must also be provided to Legislative Services to be retained by the County in the public record.
Note: the County cannot assist you with connecting to Microsoft Teams to present electronically at a public hearing. If you do not have the equipment or technical ability to present electronically via Microsoft Teams, please consider a written submission or pre-recorded audio/video submission.
Submitting a Written Submission
Written submissions must be provided to Legislative Services in an email, PDF, Microsoft Word, or letter format.
Please include the bylaw number of the public hearing in the subject line of your email, and your name and an indication of where you live (preferably your municipal address or legal land description) in the body of the email.
- PDF or Word: Put your comments in a PDF or Microsoft Word document and attach your submission to an email and send it to legislativeservices@rockyview.ca by the deadline indicated on the public hearing notice, which are mailed to residents in the area and are available on the County’s website.
Please include the bylaw number of the public hearing in the subject line of your email, and your name and an indication of where you live (preferably your municipal address or legal land description) in the body of your submission.
- Physical Letter: Write your comments in a letter and mail your submission to Legislative Services at the address below by the deadline indicated on the public hearing notice, which are mailed to residents in the area and are available on the County’s website.
Legislative Services
Rocky View County Hall
262075 Rocky View Point, Rocky View County, AB, T4A 0X2
Please include “Public Hearing Submission” on the envelope of your letter, the bylaw number of the public hearing in the subject line of your letter, and your name and an indication of where you live (preferably your municipal address or legal land description) in the body of your letter.
Your letter must be received by the deadline on the public hearing notice. If needed, there is an afterhours drop box (mail slot) at the County Hall that can be used to deliver your submission. Please use only this drop box. When the County Hall is closed, staff or security guards cannot accept your submission in person.
All pre-recorded presentations must be received by the deadline indicated on the public hearing notice, which are mailed to residents in the area and are available on the County’s website. Late submissions may be accepted by Council at the public hearing, subject to a resolution to accept the late submission from Council.
Submitting a Pre-recorded Audio/Video Presentation
If you are unable to present in person or electronically at a public hearing, you may submit a pre-recorded audio/video presentation to Legislative Services that will be played at the public hearing. Pre-recorded audio/video submissions are limited to five minutes for an individual and 10 minutes for a group, subject to a resolution from Council to extend the submission time limit.
All pre-recorded presentations must be received by the deadline indicated on the public hearing notice, which are mailed to residents in the area and are available on the County’s website. Late submissions may be accepted by Council at the public hearing, subject to a resolution from Council to accept the late submission.
Please include the bylaw number of the public hearing, your name, and an indication of where you live (preferably your municipal address or legal land description) in the introduction of your pre-recorded audio/video submission. When your submission is complete, CLICK HERE to submit.
Note: the County cannot assist you with preparing or submitting your pre-recorded audio/video presentation. If you do not have the equipment or technical ability to record and upload your submission, please consider a written submission or attending the public hearing in person or electronically instead.
Group Presentations and Submissions
Public hearing presentations and submissions may be on your own behalf or on behalf of others. If you and others in your community have a similar interest in a public hearing matter or are affected in similar ways, you may present at the public hearing or provide a submission as a group.
Rocky View’s Procedure Bylaw defines a group as:
“Group” means three or more persons with a common interest in a matter before Council.
All the same requirements that apply to a presentation or submission by an individual at a public hearing also apply to a presentation or submission by a group, except that groups are afforded additional time to present at public hearings. Group presentations have a time limit of 10 minutes instead of the 5 minutes allotted for individuals.
Note: the County does not consider individuals from the same family household as a group.
Request to Address Council on Non-Public Hearing Matters (Including Subdivision Applications)
Not all matters considered at Council meetings are public hearings, as the Municipal Government Act only requires public hearings to be held on certain matters. While residents and applicants have the right to address Council during public hearings, Council must provide permission for residents and applicants to address Council outside of public hearings.
If you believe you are affected by a matter or are an application for a matter being considered by Council without a public hearing, such as a subdivision application, Council may provide you with an opportunity to present your support, opposition, or concerns to them.
You have the option of requesting to either provide a presentation to Council during the meeting or to provide a written submission for Council to consider at the meeting in accordance with the County’s Procedure Bylaw.
If you wish to address Council on a non-public hearing matter, including a subdivision application, you may submit your request to Legislative Services at legislativeservices@rockyview.ca or 403-230-1401 with the following information:
- your name and an indication of where you live (preferably your municipal address or legal land description)
- whether you are in support, in opposition, or have concerns with the matter being considered by Council and how you are affected by the matter
Legislative Services will communicate your request to Council at the meeting. Because Council must decide whether to approve your request at the meeting itself, Legislative Services is unable to provide confirmation of whether your request will be approved in advance.
All requests will be communicated to and reviewed by Council, but if Council does not pass a resolution to approve your request, it will unfortunately be denied.
Privacy Notice
Rocky View County Council meetings and public hearings are open to the public and video recorded. When participating in Rocky View County Council meetings and public hearings, your name, address, and comments will be available to the public on the County’s website – regardless of whether you are presenting to Council or have provided a written submission.
Questions and More Information
Public hearing notices and more information on how to participate in public hearings can be found at www.rockyview.ca/public-notices. If you have questions regarding specific public hearings or the public hearing process in general, please contact Legislative Services at legislativeservices@rockyview.ca or 403-230-1401.
Request to Speak to the Public Presentation Committee
To submit a request to speak at a Public Presentation Committee meeting, please click HERE