Committee of the Whole (CoW) meetings are a type of special Council meeting. They provide Council members the opportunity for more in-depth and less formal discussion on specific topics. Working in a CoW format can help Council reach consensus and develop recommendations for action over a series of meetings. These meetings are where staff introduce reports and respond to questions that Council may have and provide an opportunity to participate in the deliberations, and receive comments/input from the public.
The primary outcome from CoW meetings is for Council to feel they have enough information or have had enough conversation around an issue/topic to be able to make a recommendation to Council for action. All recommendations from CoW are recommended to Council and placed on a subsequent regular Council meeting agenda to be ratified.
The main difference between a regular Council meeting and a Committee of the Whole meeting is that CoW are less formal and allow for more discussion and questions. At a regular Council meeting a matter is moved/seconded, debated and the matter proceeds to a vote.