Town of Cobourg Council Engagement Survey

Governance Review:
In December 2023, following an extensive review and community engagement program, Council enacted a new procedural by-law choosing to move to a standing committee process in 2024.

Standing Committee Structure at a Glance:
Standing Committees are affiliated with municipal divisions and overall priorities and policy decisions. Cobourg now has three standing committees consisting of:

• Community Services, Protection and Economic Development Standing Committee - Meetings held on the second Wednesday of the month at 9:30am
• Public Works, Planning and Development Standing Committee – Meetings held on the second Wednesday of the month at 1pm
• Corporate Finance and Legislative Standing Committee – Meetings held on the second Thursday of the month at 1pm.
• Regular Council meetings are held on the last Wednesday of the month at 6pm

Advisory Committees and Local Boards:
Meetings for the following Statutory Local Boards and Advisory Committees are currently ongoing:

Legislative Committees:

• Accessibility Advisory Committee
• Audit and Risk Committee
• Heritage Advisory Committee

Quasi-Judicial:

• Committee of Adjustment
• Property Standards Committee

Local Boards:

• Police Service Board
• Cobourg Public Library Board
• Downtown Business Improvement Area Board of Management

Ongoing Engagement and Updates
The procedural by-law dictates such things as the structure of Council Meetings, how decisions are made, steps taken to ensure meetings are transparent and open to the public and how citizens are able to communicate with Council on agenda items or issues in our community. Cobourg Council and staff are therefore committed to ensuring that Council procedures and decision making processes are accessible to our community.

In September 2024 further changes were made to the procedural by-law following community and Council feedback. Now staff are reaching out to seek feedback from residents on the new structure and their experience with it.

How to Get Involved

• Take the Survey - Available until March 10, 2025

In-Person Engagement
The Town of Cobourg Clerk’s Department staff will be visiting the Cobourg Community Centre and the Cobourg Public Library in the coming weeks to promote the Council Engagement Survey.

The community is invited to stop by and talk to the Clerk’s Department staff, discuss any questions or feedback about the survey, and submit their own responses. Staff will be at the following locations:

Cobourg Public Library (200 Ontario Street)

• Wednesday, February 12, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Thursday, February 27, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Cobourg Community Centre (750 D'Arcy Street)

• Friday, February 14, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Thursday, February 20, 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

The Council Engagement Survey is available online at www.EngageCobourg.ca. Paper copies are also available by visiting Victoria Hall, or email clerks@cobourg.ca.

This survey is available in print for anyone who requires it. Please contact Cassidy Sweet, Council and Committee Coordinator at csweet@cobourg.ca or 905-372-4301 ext: 4403

Or in person at Victoria Hall, 55 King Street West, Cobourg, ON