Guelph-Eramosa has instated an official petition policy.
“This essentially is a policy just to formalize what staff has been doing in the past,” said township clerk Amanda Knight at the Oct. 2 council meeting.
“It’s a guideline for staff to provide members of the public a road map for soliciting council on certain matters.”
She added, “Members of the public will have other tools that they can use to approach council on different items, but this just formalizes what we’re doing already in terms of helping handle petitions.”
A valid petition:
– is addressed to the township, mayor or other member of council;
– requests a particular action of council;
– is legible and typed or written in ink;
– has the text of petition written at top of each page;
– has pages numbered and total indicated;
– is respectful;
– has the name and addresses of each petitioner included, along with their signature for paper petitions;
– has petitioners name, address and email address included in electronic petitions; and
– must disclose on each page that the document is public and the information may be subject to scrutiny of the township or public.
Petitions are to be sent to the clerk either by mail, email or in person.
Once a petition is received, council will consider it at its next regular meeting or a meeting where the petition’s subject is discussed.
