Skip to content
site banner

Council Engagement Survey

Cobourg Council and staff are committed to ensuring that Council procedures and decision making processes are accessible to our community. The Town of Cobourg Clerks Department invites you to participate in a survey to share your experiences and suggestions for engaging with Municipal Council. 

Demographics

1.  

Do you live or own a business in Cobourg?

2.  

What is your age category?

Participation in Public Proceedings

The Town of Cobourg 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. There are multiple ways that Cobourg residents can participate in meetings or have their opinions heard. We want to know which of these opportunities you have engaged with and what is the most effective. 

3.  

Have you engaged with Council, an advisory committee or a local board?

Accessibility and Engagement

I feel I have the opportunity for my opinion to be heard by Council.
I feel I have the opportunity for my opinion to be heard by staff

Advisory Committees and Local Boards

The goal of the governance review in 2023 was to update the Town’s Procedural by-law and other governance related policies to streamline processes and improve the efficiency of the business of Town Council and its Committees and Boards. 

With the update to the procedural by-law in 2024, Council maintained the following statutory local boards and advisory committees. The by-law also allows Council to create additional engagement tools such as staff working groups. 

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

  • Accessibility Advisory Committee 
  • Audit and Risk Committee
  • Heritage Advisory Committee 
  • Committee of Adjustment 
  • Police Service Board 
  • Cobourg Public Library Board 
  • Downtown Business Improvement Area Board of Management 
  • Property Standards Committee
6.  

Have you ever sat on a Town of Cobourg advisory committee or local board?

7.  

Would you consider volunteering your time to sit on an advisory committee, local board or staff working group?

8.  

Would you appreciate if staff made more availability to sit down with residents to discuss specific subject matters or departmental programming? 

Note: We are looking for suggestion on communications tools, meetings, or practices that the Town could put into action

Newsletters and Council Updates

10.  

Have you received the Council Standing Committee Recap eNewsletter?

Satisfaction with Governance Model

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.