Citizen Participation

Citizens are welcome and encouraged to both attend and participate in regular council meetings. If you are interested, please read all the sections below that discuss the process including registration and conduct.

Remember, your City Council meets regularly at 7 PM on the second and fourth Tuesday each month (excluding July, August and December) in the City Council Chambers located behind City Hall at 2400 Washington Avenue. City Council Meetings for July, August and December are held only on the second Tuesday of these months.

  1. Decorum
  2. Limitations
  3. Registering
  4. Regulations
  5. Speaking
  6. Terms

City Council Meeting Decorum

  • For safety reasons, petitioning, picketing, displaying signs or posters, solicitation, demonstrating, pamphlet distribution, and conducting polls shall not be permitted in the City Council chambers, the City Council conference room, or the waiting area and corridors adjacent to the chambers and conference room or within 50 feet of the doorway to the council chambers, council conference room, or the waiting area and corridors adjacent to the chambers, council conference room, and the building containing the council chambers.
  • These regulations do not preclude speakers, when addressing City Council, from delivering to the council members by way of the City Clerk written materials including reports, statements, exhibits, letters, or signed petitions. Nor do these regulations preclude those addressing City Council from using a chart or graph during their verbal presentation.
  • The Mayor or other presiding officer shall preserve decorum and shall decide all questions of public order.
  • At the request of the Mayor or City Manager, one or more persons, including city police officers shall act as sergeant-at-arms or sergeants-at-arms at all City Council meetings. The sergeant-at-arms, or sergeants-at-arms shall, under the direction of the Mayor or other presiding officer, have charge of the council chambers, the council conference room, and the waiting areas and corridors adjacent thereto, and shall prevent disorder or interruption of the business of City Council.
  • Furthermore, nothing herein shall be interpreted to prohibit speakers or any citizens from addressing oral or written comments or complaints on any subject not germane to the business of City Council, to City Council, its constituent members, the City Clerk, or city administration, outside of the context or time frame of City Council's regular, prefatory or special meeting(s).

The City Council hopes these guidelines will encourage the greatest possible participation by citizens the city government.

Thank you for your interest in our City Council meetings. Good, responsive government depends on the interest and involvement of all citizens.

The City Council meeting is cablecast live on City Cable Channel 48 and re-cablecast on Thursday at 7:30 PM and Friday at 7:30 AM.