Public Hearings
Public hearings are special meetings of Council which are intended to provide an arena for public input. As Council does not typically hear from the public during regular council meetings, residents are encouraged to address Council at public hearings.
Public Hearings are held every second Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers and imediately followed by a regular council meeting. Public hearings are advertised in both local newspapers and online one week in advance. Notices of rezoning applications are also delivered to owners and occupants of surrounding properties and applicants must post notice of the public hearing on the property in question.
Written Input
Those unable to attend the public hearing in person may provide written comments for any public hearing/public input item on the hearing agenda which appears with an 
icon. Correspondence received between the date the item was advertised in the local newspapers and one business day prior to the public hearing will be copied and circulated to Council.
To submit your thoughts, e-mail cityclerk@kelowna.ca or write to:
City Clerk’s Office,
1435 Water Street
Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 1J4
Please include your name, civic address and clearly indicate the application number or address of the property to which your comments relate.
Broadcast
Public hearings are broadcast live (audio only) on the internet via www.castanet.net/kelownacouncil/
.
Adressing Council at a Public Hearing
To address council at a public hearing, simply raise you hand when the Chair (the Mayor) calls for input from the public gallery. This usually occurs after staff and the owner or applicant have presented to council. The Mayor will determine the order of speakers from the gallery.
Council's role at a public hearing is to listen to the public. Council will not debate or challenge the comments but may question individual speakers to clarify what is being said.
When speaking to council:
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Introduce yourself, state your civic address and describe your relationship to the issue or presentation.
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Direct all comments and answers through the Mayor, who is addressed as "Mayor ______" or “Your Worship”.
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Speak slowly and clearly into the microphone (it’s adjustable – so move it to where you are comfortable).
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State your topic or issue and clearly describe the action that you wish council to take.
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Be prepared – Speakers are limited to 5 minutes and council may ask you questions after your presentation
No person should feel discouraged, intimidated or prevented from making their views known at a public hearing. Therefore, please refrain from applause or other expressions of emotion. Inappropriate language, outbursts, criticisms or generalizations aimed at an individual or group will not be tolerated.
