Public Hearings

Public Hearings are currently conducted both in person and online via zoom. The public can participate in three ways:

Attend in Person

Members of the public are welcome to join public hearings in person.

Submit Written Comments

You can submit your written comments by email, mail, or in person. All submissions must include your name and mailing address. Submissions must be received no later than noon on the day of the public hearing. All submissions will be entered into the public hearing record.

Participate Via Zoom

You can participate in the Zoom meeting by phone, computer, smartphone, or tablet.

To find zoom details for a specific meeting, please click the button below:

Phone

1. Dial any one of the following numbers: 1-778-907-2071, 1-647-558-0588, or 1-438-809-7799.
2. Enter the Meeting ID followed by the # sign.
3. If the meeting has not already started, press # to wait for the host to start the meeting.
4. If you wish to speak during the public question period, press *9. This will notify staff that you have raised your hand.
5. When it is your turn to speak you will be prompted to unmute your microphone.
6. Press *6 to unmute yourself.
7. Once you are done speaking, press *6 to mute yourself again.

Computer, smartphone, or tablet         

1. Click on the Zoom link provided for the meeting.
2. If you wish to speak during the public question period, click the “Raise Hand” feature in the controls at the bottom of the Zoom window. This will notify staff that you have raised your hand.
3. Staff will unmute your microphone when it is your turn to ask your question.
4. A prompt will appear to confirm you would like to be unmuted. Once you accept the prompt, you will have the opportunity to ask your question.
5. Once your question has ended, you will be muted again.

Speaking at a Public Hearing

We recommend you register to speak at the public hearing. Please contact the Planning Department at 604-702-5489 or planning@fvrd.ca by noon on the day of the public hearing to register. Everyone will be permitted to speak at the Public Hearing but those who have registered in advance will be given the first opportunity. Once the speakers' list has been exhausted, you will be asked to use the raise hand feature in Zoom to indicate if you would like to speak.

Guidelines for Speaking

• Limit your comments to the proposed application
• You will have 5 minutes to speak
• You will be muted when you join the conference
• Make sure that you are in a quiet area with no background noise
• Ensure that your device is fully charged and that you have access to a charging station should your device need it
• Do not put your phone on speakerphone
• If using a computer, we recommend that you use a headset with a microphone to talk so that you can be better heard
• When it is your turn to speak, staff will call your name and you will be un-muted
• You will be participating in the meeting by audio only. Your image will not be broadcast to the FVRD Board or the public.

Personal Information Collection Notice

Zoom is a widely used US-based video conferencing solution. Like most similar programs, Zoom will collect a limited amount of personal information about you when you register to join a meeting. If you are not comfortable with this collection of personal information, please participate by submitting written comments.  

For more information about the virtual public hearing process please contact the Planning Department at 604-702-5489 or planning@fvrd.ca.