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Council Meetings

Meeting Location and Time:
City Council meetings are normally held on the first, second, and fourth Thursdays of each month. The City Council may chose to vary from this routine. For example, Council meetings are frequently held on the third Thursday of the month. Meetings usually begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 21630 11th Avenue South, Suite B. Contact the City Clerk at (206) 870-6519 for more information.

Speaking at a Council Meeting:
The City Council invites the general public to attend and speak during regular Council meetings. Normally, regular meetings occur on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. The first Thursday of the month is routinely conducted as a less-formal study session, and oral public comments are not accepted. Written comments can be submitted at any time.

Citizens are also encouraged to speak to the City Council during public hearings. These hearings are required by law before certain decisions can be made by the City Council. For example, State law requires that a public hearing be conducted before the adoption of the annual budget, and before certain land use decisions. Announcements of public hearings are published in the Seattle Times, and posted at City Hall and this website.

The City Council has adopted rules of conduct regarding speaking at Council meetings. The rules are intended to protect every citizen’s right to free speech and also maintain order throughout the meeting.

Rules for Speaking at a City Council Meeting During “Comments from the Public”

City Council Rule 20, Adopted 9/7/00

• All citizens desiring to address Council during the Public Comment period shall first fill out a sign-in sheet and submit the form to the City Clerk prior to the start of Public Comments.
• The Presiding Officer may change the order of speakers so that testimony is heard in the most logical groupings.
• Each person addressing the Council shall step up to the indicated speakers table, give his or her name and address for the record, and shall limit comments to three (3) minutes. Groups may be allotted five (5) minutes by the presiding officer.
• Except where permission is granted by the Presiding Officer, all remarks shall be made only from the designated speaking table and addressed to the Council as a body and not to individual members, the audience or the television cameras.
• Speakers will be notified when the allotted time has expired and the speaker shall promptly conclude his or her remarks. All speakers are encouraged to submit supplemental or detailed written remarks for Council consideration.
• Any person making personal, impertinent, or slanderous remarks, or who becomes boisterous, threatening, or personally abusive while addressing the Council, may be ordered to leave the meeting. The presiding officer has the authority and duty to preserve order at all meetings of the Council, to cause the removal of any person from any meeting for disorderly conduct and to enforce these rules.
• Any person whose comments have been ruled out of order by the presiding officer shall immediately cease and refrain from further improper comments. The refusal of an individual to desist from personal, inappropriate, slanderous or otherwise disruptive remarks after being ruled out of order by the presiding officer may subject the individual to removal from the Council Chambers.

Special Accommodations:
The City provides special accommodations such as hearing devices, wheelchair space, and large print material for City meetings. Anyone needing special assistance please contact the City Clerk’s office at (206) 870-6519.