Poll Public Rules

How to Make Public Comment at Council Meetings

The City Council welcomes comments from the public. Two opportunities, called "Poll Public," exist during the regular meetings of Council for the public to speak. To participate in the opportunities, the following rules shall apply:

• During the Poll Public sessions, the President of Council will ask if anyone would like to come forward at this time. The speaker shall first state his/her name and address. The President of Council may waive the requirement for the participant to speak at the designated location if the speaker is limited due to a physical disability; 
• Each speaker shall be provided up to three (3) minutes to address Council (at the discretion of the Council President) with no right to yield time to other speakers;
• No speaker shall address a subject more than once during a council meeting;
• The speaker shall refrain from making defamatory, slanderous, or obscene comments or statements. Council members’ are encouraged to refrain from engaging with members of the public. For answers to specific questions, the members of the City Council and Administration are available after each meeting;

If any violation of the listed rules occurs or if the speaker engages in any inappropriate behavior the Council President shall give the speaker one warning. If any violation continues then the Council President may revoke the participant’s speaking privileges and the speaker may be removed from the Council chambers.