Know Before You Go

Confident participation tips

Attending city council or school board meetings can be intimidating. Below are some tips to make the process easier:

Meetings may be attended in person or, in some cases, online via zoom. Online access must be clearly provided on the city council’s website and all meeting agendas.
The governing body may not vote on issues not on the agenda or without providing members of the public with an opportunity to comment on the agenda item prior to their vote, except in an emergency.
In addition to agenda topics, meetings allow time for members of the public to offer comments – either on specific agenda items, or on any other topic, referred to as “unagendized” items. Comments may be submitted in person or, in some cases, in writing.
Any member of the public may speak at such meetings; one need not be a resident of a particular jurisdiction to attend or to speak.
Speaking at a meeting requires signing up before the meeting starts. Signing up may be done manually by filling out a speaker card, or via a computer kiosk. If you plan to speak at a meeting, prepare to arrive early as queues may fill up. Typical information required includes –

Your name. Some people choose to provide their full name. Others list only a first name and last initial; some chose to provide a pseudonym.
The topic you wish to address. If the item you wish to address is on the agenda, you will need to list the agenda item number. If not, you will list it as “unagendized.”
Usually, no additional detail is required, although some forms also ask whether a speaker is affiliated with a lobbying group.
There are optional spaces to fill in one’s address and other contact information. Due to privacy concerns, many people choose not to do so.

Prepare in advance – meeting organizers often set time limitations for public comments. Those vary and may be adjusted with the number of speakers lined up. Common times range from 90 seconds to 3 minutes. Given the short time limitations, it is helpful to practice any remarks ahead of time. Even 3 minutes can go by very quickly!
Make it brief, personal and relatable – share your own experiences or those of your family and relate to the representatives sitting at the dais.
Public comment periods are not meant for back-and-forth conversation. Members may refer matters as appropriate to the department responsible for research, response or to provide further information.
Members are also tasked with keeping order at the meetings, ensuring an orderly discussion and exchange of information, with the ability to remove speakers who disrupt a meeting, if necessary.