Council and Committee Meetings

The Town of Whitby's Council and Committee of the Whole meetings are held on a three-week cycle. Review the Council Meeting Calendar and meeting agendas, minutes and reports.

Subscribe to receive 'Council Calendar' updates and stay informed about upcoming Council and Committee meetings.

If you wish to discuss a matter on a Council or Committee of the Whole meeting agenda, you can register to appear before a Standing Committee or Council.

Correspondence to the Mayor and Members of Council regarding agenda items can be submitted to the Office of the Town Clerk via email at clerk@whitby.ca by noon on the day of the meeting. Written correspondence must include your full name, address, and the item on the agenda that your correspondence is related to.

View the Council and Committee Meeting Calendar

The Municipal Conflict of Interest Act requires all municipalities to establish and maintain a registry of all declarations made by members of Council under the Act. The registry is available for public inspection below by selecting 'Conflicts Registry'. Please contact clerk@whitby.ca for questions or if you require an alternate format.

Live Stream and Archived Videos

You can view Council or Committee meetings while they are in progress through our virtual live stream. To watch a Council or Committee meeting, select the applicable meeting instance from the calendar and click on the HTML Agenda. A video will appear in the top-right corner of your screen.

If there are no meetings in progress, Council is not meeting in Council Chambers, or Council is in Closed Session in accordance with section 239 of the Municipal Act, you will see a graphic stating that no live stream event is available. Please note that meetings not held in Council Chambers will not be live streamed.

To view videos of Past Meetings, click on the HTML minutes and then click on the item of interest. A video will appear in the top-right corner of your screen. Tip: Toggle between years using the grey dropdown under Past Meetings.

Videos that were recorded prior to 2023 may not appear on the HTML agenda or minutes. Instead, they will appear as a separate hyperlink.

Types of Meetings

Regular Council

Council conducts its business using the Standing Committee System. The Standing Committees offer policy and operational recommendations to Council on an ongoing basis. Decisions of Council require support from a majority of the members present at a meeting. In certain cases, the consent of two-thirds (2/3) of all members of Council is required. Council must have at least five (5) members present to conduct its business.

Special Council

Through the provisions of the Town's Procedure By-law, the Mayor may call a special meeting of Council at any time. Decisions of Council and Special Council meetings require support from a majority of the members present at a meeting. In certain cases, the consent of two-thirds (2/3) of all members of Council is required. Council must have at least five (5) members present to conduct its business.

Committee of the Whole

The Committee of the Whole considers a wide-variety of issues including those related to the CAO's Office, Financial Services, Community Services, Operations, Fire and Emergency Services, Planning and Development, and Legal and Enforcement Services, including financial planning, contract awards, levels of service and policy, roads and bridges, storm sewers, sidewalks, and parks. In addition, the Committee of the Whole considers land use planning matters including Official Plan Amendments and Zoning By-law Amendments. Recommendations supported at Committee of the Whole meetings are then presented at the next Regular Council meeting for Council's consideration.

Public Meetings

Public Meetings are those required pursuant to the Planning Act for Planning and Development matters deemed to require public consultation. Public Meetings provide members of the public with an opportunity to give feedback about proposed planning applications.

You have the opportunity to participate in a public meeting and provide feedback on development applications to have your voice heard. You may also register for an Interested Party List to be notified of updates pertaining to a matter considered at a Public Meeting.

View the Council and Committee calendar for agendas, minutes, and reports.

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee reviews and reports the results and recommendations regarding the annual external audit of financial statements for the Town of Whitby to Council.

Advisory Boards and Committees

The Town of Whitby has a variety of advisory boards and committees, whose members are appointed by Council and serve our community in an advisory capacity. Council appoints qualified candidates for citizen vacancies. Members are appointed for a term that follows the four-year term of Council.

Visit the Advisory Committees webpage for more information and to apply for advisory boards and committee vacancies.