Who do I contact to start an intergovernmental agreement?

Contact the City Manager's Office - Intergovernmental Relations or the City Clerk to discuss scope and submission requirements.

Are there standard forms or fees?

There is no single standard form published for all agreements; fees are agreement-specific and any required application or fee will be stated by the receiving department or in the draft agreement.

How long does approval take?

Timelines vary by complexity and Council schedules; submit early and consult the Council agenda calendar for expected processing times.

Guelph Intergovernmental Agreements - Municipal Office

General Governance and Administration Ontario 3 Minutes Read · published May 26, 2026

In Guelph, Ontario the municipal office that handles intergovernmental agreements coordinates requests, records and council approvals for agreements between the city and other governments or public bodies. This page explains who to contact, how agreements are recorded and approved, and practical steps for submitting a request or responding to a proposed agreement. For official records and meeting agendas consult the City of Guelph pages linked below for authoritative procedures and document locations.^[1]^[2]

What the Office Does

The office facilitates negotiation, review and submission of intergovernmental agreements for Council consideration. Typical subjects include cost-sharing, service agreements, transit or infrastructure partnerships, and joint funding arrangements. Staff coordinate legal review, budget input and public notices where required.

Start early: agreements often need legal, finance and council time for approval.

Contact & Submission

Contact: City Manager's Office / Intergovernmental Relations or the City Clerk for formal submissions.
Submission: provide a signed request, draft agreement, covering letter and supporting budget or authority documentation.
Deadlines: submit early enough to meet Council agenda deadlines; see Council meeting schedules for cut-off dates.

For official contact details and the office responsible, consult the City of Guelph Intergovernmental Relations page.^[1]

Penalties & Enforcement

Intergovernmental agreements are contractual or statutory instruments rather than bylaw offences; specific fines or daily penalties are generally not published on the city’s intergovernmental pages. Where a municipal bylaw applies to an activity covered by an agreement, applicable fines and enforcement routes are set out in that bylaw or enforcing department's documentation and not on the intergovernmental page. If a specific sanction, fine amount or continuing penalty applies it will be stated in the executed agreement or the controlling bylaw or policy, or in the enforcement section of the relevant department.

Summary of typical enforcement and review items:

Enforcer: contractual compliance is managed by the responsible city department and the City Clerk; bylaw enforcement remains with By-law Enforcement where a bylaw governs the matter.
Escalation: remedies in agreements commonly include notice of default, cure periods, injunctive relief or termination; monetary penalties are agreement-specific and not specified on the cited intergovernmental page.
Fines: not specified on the cited page where the office describes intergovernmental relations; see the executed agreement or any referenced bylaw for amounts.
Non-monetary remedies: orders to comply, termination of agreement, withholding of payments, or seeking court remedies.
Complaints and inspections: raise compliance concerns to the responsible department or City Clerk; refer to council records for decisions.^[2]

If you need enforceable penalty figures, request a copy of the executed agreement or the specific bylaw section.

Applications & Forms

There is no single universal form published for intergovernmental agreement requests on the Intergovernmental Relations overview; typical submissions require a formal covering letter, draft agreement and supporting budget documentation submitted to the City Manager's Office or City Clerk. If a specific form is required it will be listed on the receiving department's page or within the Council agenda submission instructions.^[1]

How approvals work

Staff review and legal counsel prepare a report and recommended agreement for Council.
Council consideration: agreements are typically approved at a Council meeting and recorded in minutes and bylaw listings.
Record-keeping: executed agreements are retained by the City Clerk and referenced in public records.

Council approval and clerk-signed records make an agreement official and enforceable.

Action Steps

Prepare: compile draft agreement, authority for signature, and budget/finance impact details.
Contact: reach out to Intergovernmental Relations or the City Clerk to confirm submission requirements and deadlines.
Submit: send documents ahead of Council deadlines and follow up to ensure placement on an agenda.

FAQ

Who do I contact to start an intergovernmental agreement?: Contact the City Manager's Office - Intergovernmental Relations or the City Clerk to discuss scope and submission requirements.
Are there standard forms or fees?: There is no single standard form published for all agreements; fees are agreement-specific and any required application or fee will be stated by the receiving department or in the draft agreement.
How long does approval take?: Timelines vary by complexity and Council schedules; submit early and consult the Council agenda calendar for expected processing times.

How-To

Draft the proposed agreement and prepare supporting budget documentation.
Contact Intergovernmental Relations or the City Clerk to confirm submission method and agenda deadlines.
Submit materials in accordance with the advised timeline so staff can prepare a Council report.
Attend or monitor the Council meeting where the agreement is considered and obtain the executed document from the City Clerk after approval.

Key Takeaways

Start early and provide complete supporting documentation.
Council approval and clerk execution make agreements enforceable.