Council Committees

The City has several different committees providing recommendations on a wide range of programs, policies and services ranging from parks and parking to heritage and housing.

Click here for information on the St. Paul Street Supportive Housing Site Review Task Force.

A number of new committees are proposed to start in 2006, including:

Women's Advisory Committee
Youth Advisory Committee
Affordable and Special Needs Housing Task Force
Crime and Safety Strategic Planning Task Force
Recreation, Parks and Cultural Services Task Force

For further information, please check back to this page in the coming weeks.

Members of the public wishing to serve on one of these proposed committees should submit a brief outline of their background and experience. An on-line application form or a letter may be sent to the attention of the City Clerk, 1435 Water Street, Kelowna B.C. V1Y 1J4. Applications submitted on-line will have a confirmation message displayed on screen. Applications submitted by mail will receive a confirmation letter.

Statutory Committees

Statutory Committees are those that have been established by Council and have a formal advisory role to Council. Information on these committees, including the Terms of Reference, Agendas and Minutes, can be found at left under Statutory Committees:

Advisory Committee for People With Disabilities
Advisory Planning Commission
Agricultural Advisory Committee
Airport Advisory Committee
Audit Committee
Board of Variance
Community Heritage Commission
Downtown Centre Strategy Task Force
Kelowna Parking Committee
Mission Recreation Park Aquatic Facility Committee
Public Art Committee
Rutland Town Centre Strategy Task Force
Social Planning and Housing Committee

Members of the public wishing to serve on a Statutory Committee of Council (not all include members of the public) should submit a brief outline of their background and experience. An on-line application form or a letter may be sent to the attention of the City Clerk, 1435 Water Street, Kelowna B.C. V1Y 1J4. Applications submitted on-line will have a confirmation message displayed on screen. Applications submitted by mail will receive a confirmation letter.

Public Input at the Committee Stage

As with Council meetings, all regular statutory committee meetings are open to the public, with the exception of a very limited number of meetings permitted to be held "in-camera" by the Local Government Act. Public input is accepted, and often requested, at the committee stage, where many issues can be resolved prior to a matter coming before the whole of Council.

Public Input to Council on a Matter Already Considered by a Committee

When a matter moves from committee consideration to Council, the presumption is that these issues have either been resolved, or that they are brought up as outstanding issues in the staff report presented to Council (which also includes the committee’s recommendation on the matter).

Public input received by the committee (whether written submissions or oral presentations) is available to Councillors for review, but it is not specifically circulated or brought to their attention when the matter is before Council itself.

Council can specifically request public input on certain matters (mainly development related), and that input is usually garnered through a public hearing process. Prior to Council consideration of such matters, advertisements inviting public input are placed in the local newspapers and notification is provided to neighbours. Any input received between the date of this notification and the date of Council consideration (generally at a public hearing) is summarized and circulated to Council.

Individuals who have submitted input to a committee and have further comments they wish to make when the matter is before Council, must either submit updated comments in writing to the City Clerk's Office between these dates or attend the public hearing in person and make an oral presentation.

Further information about providing written submissions or making oral presentations to Council can be found on this website under Council Procedures.