Submit a comment

If you disagree with a proposed plan or decision by the municipality, you may, in some cases, submit a statement of opinion. You can use an online form to do so.

What is a statement of opinion?

You may disagree with a draft decision issued by the municipality. Examples include: draft environmental plans and draft environmental permits, as well as proposed decisions.

Comments may be submitted, for example, regarding a draft decision by the mayor, the mayor and aldermen, or the city council. This option is indicated in the notice announcing the draft decision.
A comment is an opinion regarding a proposed decision or plan by the municipality. In your comment, you describe which aspects of the proposed decision you do or do not agree with and why you do or do not agree with them.

It is not always possible to submit a statement of opinion regarding municipal decisions. The municipality will announce onthe national government website whether a statement of opinion can be submitted. On this website, you can easily search and sort by ZIP code or topic.

What happens to your opinion?

If you submit a statement of opinion, the municipality will take it into account in its final decision. You will always be notified about the next steps in the process both when you submit your statement of opinion and when a decision has been made.

If you submit comments on an amendment to the Environmental Plan, you will receive an invitation to a hearing before the council committee before your comments and the decision are considered by the city council. At this hearing, you can explain your comments orally.

If the municipality agrees with your opinion, an amended decision will generally follow. If the municipality does not agree with your opinion, the decision will remain the same. You will always receive a reasoned response to your opinion. Once the final decision has been made, and if you still disagree with it, you may file an appeal with the court.