This question is on my mind because lately I’ve been sending e-mail requests to the municipality asking for an acknowledgement of receipt of my message, some of which have gone unanswered. No doubt my e-mail went into the “junk” folder. It happens to everyone!
Most citizens need to communicate with their municipality at some point by e-mail. It’s an excellent way to communicate, since you can do so during the day without having to go to Town Hall. By the way, don’t go to North Hatley Town Hall at lunchtime – it’s closed. But believe me, it’s not just North Hatley Town Hall that operates on this schedule! Is it out of habit, because it’s not very convenient for citizens, since most workers are free at lunchtime to deal with their paperwork?
In order to find an answer to my question regarding the reasonable time frame that can be expected from a response to an email sent to the municipality, I put the question to our famous ChatGpt and here is his answer:
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————In Quebec, there is no specific legal deadline for a municipality to respond to an e-mail with acknowledgement of receipt, unless the request is part of a formal request for access to information (in this case, the deadline is 20 working days, extendable to 30). However, in a normal context of citizen communication, good administrative practice recommends :
Reasonable time for acknowledgement
- 24 to 72 business hours are considered a reasonable time to acknowledge receipt of an e-mail.
- Some municipalities do this automatically via an automated message.
Complete response to e-mail content
- For a substantial response (e.g. decision, follow-up, information), 5 to 10 working days is generally considered reasonable, depending on the complexity of the request.
In the event of prolonged silence
If the municipality does not respond :
- You can send a courteous reminder after 3 to 5 working days.
- If the request is important (e.g., related to your rights, a complaint, a dispute), you may consider sending it by registered mail for proof.
Beware, Chatgpt does not hold the truth. However, it does give you an idea of the subject. Take the time to research the subject.
I would add that if you have made a formal request for access to information and have not received a response within 30 days, you can consult the Commission d’accès à l’information website for assistance.
Obviously, municipalities have a lot of e-mails to deal with. So it’s normal not to always get an immediate response. Patience is the key! However, don’t overuse excuses to justify unreasonable delays.
On that note, please be patient, but not too patient.
