Public Participation at a City Council Meeting

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:

 In addition to attending City Council meetings in person, members of the public can access the meeting live on-line at www.anaheim.net/councilvideos and on Cable Channel 3.The following options are available to the public to correspond with the City Council, and all other related agencies, on any agenda items or matters within the jurisdiction of such governing bodies:

1) IN-PERSON COMMENTS

Members of the public can provide in-person comments at the podium in the Council Chamber. Those wanting to address the City Council can do so during the Public Comment period.  The speaker must submit a speaker card to the City Clerk. The name and contact information on the card is optional; unidentified speakers will be called to speak by the speaker card number. The time limit established for public comments is three minutes per speaker unless a different time limit is announced.  

There are two Public Comment periods with speakers having one opportunity to address the Council.  The first Public Comment period is for speakers wishing to speak on any item on the agenda, except for scheduled public hearings.  After all agenda item speakers have been heard, and if the first Public Comment period has not exceeded 90 minutes, any time remaining will be provided to Non-Agenda item speakers until the 90 minute time limitation has been exhausted.  The second Public Comment period, following the Report on Closed Session Items, will be opened to Non-Agenda item speakers not heard during the first Public Comment period.

For public hearings, the Mayor or Chairperson will separately call for testimony at the time of each public hearing. Testimony during public hearings is subject to the following time limits: Project applicant or issue initiator: twenty minutes for initial presentation and ten minutes for rebuttal; Residents within the noticed area of the subject property: ten minutes; All other members of the public: three minutes. Public hearings regarding legislative matters: five minutes. The Mayor or Chairperson may limit the length of comments during public hearings due to the number of persons wishing to speak or if comments become repetitious or irrelevant.

Speakers shall refrain from profane language and other disruptive remarks or behavior which disrupts or disturbs the meeting, or risk being removed (AMC 1.12.017)

2) PUBLIC COMMENTS VIA E-MAIL

Members of the public can submit comments electronically for City Council consideration by sending them to publiccomment@anaheim.net. To ensure distribution to the City Council prior to consideration of the agenda, we encourage the public to submit comments at least 2 hours prior to the scheduled start time of the meeting (time is noted on the Council Agenda). Those comments, as well as any comments received after that time will be distributed to the City Council, posted on the City’s website, and will be made part of the official public record of the meeting.

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