When we will engage the community
We'll engage you as early in the process as possible on projects where there are specific matters that affect you and that you can meaningfully influence.
We know engagement needs to happen along different timelines.
You can expect us to invest in nurturing relationships and building capacity for participation in ongoing ways (not just when there are specific projects your input is needed on!). Doing so builds critical foundations for deeper, more meaningful engagement.
When there are specific matters that affect you and that you can meaningfully influence, we will engage you as early in the process as possible and not after all the decisions have been made. In these situations, you can expect the City to engage you to
identify your needs and aspirations
inform the creation of new projects
get feedback about existing projects
fulfill a Council resolution or legislated requirement
respond to a community-led request
The City is mindful of engagement fatigue. To address this, we will build on engagement that has already happened and do our best to coordinate engagement across City projects. We will also consider what else is happening in the community and do our best to avoid or mitigate conflicts with busy times. We’ll also give you plenty of time to respond.
When engagement is legislated
Certain legislation like the Municipal Act and Environmental Assessment Act set out minimum standards for when municipal governments are required to get input from the community. In the City of Guelph, we aim to create more opportunities for community engagement than those required by law, and to make them meaningful.
When we won’t engage
There will be certain topics we don’t ask you about, like matters of immediate public safety, when change is legislated by other levels of government, or when change simply isn’t possible.
The City might choose not to engage if there’s little or no public interest or if we cannot engage meaningfully. Other times, we might only talk to a small group of community members who are most affected.
When we are not able to engage with you, decision-making will be guided by our commitments to the community, and the priorities established in Guelph’s community plan and strategic plan.
Regardless of the decision, we will communicate it to you in a timely and transparent way.
Learn more in our Community Engagement Charter.
