Tips for participating in City Council meetings

Meetings Overview

  • Council Time Check-In: The City Council will conduct a check-in at 11:00 p.m. and every hour after to evaluate whether it is appropriate to continue the meeting. The City Council may extend the time for public comment during a check-in or may determine that due to the lateness of the hour, modifications to the meeting may be appropriate. Modifications may include moving remaining individuals wishing to make public comment to the City's online comment portal, recessing the meeting to another date, or adjourning the meeting.
  • Consent Agenda: The Consent Agenda is used to to expedite Council meetings by passing resolutions, ordinances on first reading, and other items through one motion made by the City Council. Ordinances on the Consent Agenda are merely scheduled for Council to set a future date for their public hearing. Except for ordinances on the Consent Agenda, you can provide public comments on any other Consent Agenda items in-person or through written public comments submitted through www.LakewoodSpeaks.org.
  • Public Hearings: When City Council is considering a new ordinance, a public hearing is required to receive public testimony when the ordinance appears on the agenda for the second time. Ordinances are used to amend or create new city laws, rezone property, or authorizing the city’s budget. If you would like to comment on a specific ordinance, you can speak in-person during the public hearing, or submit written public comments through LakewoodSpeaks.org.
  • Public Comment: This is the time to provide your thoughts and comments on topics that don’t relate to anything on the agenda. Are you concerned about a park or think City Council should tackle a specific issue? This is your opportunity to make your voice heard. You can provide written public comment online at LakewoodSpeaks.org or provide in-person public comment at the meeting during the two public comment portion of the agenda. 
  • Study Session: These are just what the name says. The City Council studies an issue through in-depth presentations and discussions. To comment on the issues being studied, you can provide written public comment online at LakewoodSpeaks.org. 

Agenda items and presentations

Start by using LakewoodSpeaks.org, which allows you to review the agenda items for each meeting, watch presentations and submit written comments for each council member to review before and during the meeting. Presentations for a specific agenda item are prerecorded and available on the website 10 days before each meeting so you can watch them when it is convenient for you. Staff reports, maps and other documents related to an agenda item are also available at the same time, which gives you time to review the details of the topic. Written public comment on LakewoodSpeaks.org is open during and after the meeting, but will close at 10:00AM the day following the meeting.

 

Public comment

There are several opportunities to provide the specific kind of public comment you want to contribute during the meetings.

  • *NEW* Initial Public Comment: This is the first of two public comment segments during regular meetings on topics that do not relate to anything on that night's agenda. This section of the agenda will be limited to the first ten in-person speakers, and shall prioritize speakers that need accommodations. There shall be no pooling of time in this section.
    • Registration: If you would like to sign up for the Initial Public Comment section, you may do so in advance of the next upcoming Regular meeting by sending an email to CCO@lakewood.org. or calling 303-987-7080. 
  • Consent Agenda: You can provide comments on resolutions council is considering that night during this segment. Resolutions are used to authorize items such as contracts, fees, policies and procedures, certain payments and specific actions. Resolutions appear only once on the agenda, so this is the time to provide your comments on the specific resolution you are interested in. 
    • Ordinances placed on the consent agenda for notification purposes ("first reading" of the ordinance) are not available for public testimony. 
  • Public Hearings: When City Council is considering a new ordinance, a public hearing will occur to take public testimony when the ordinance appears on the agenda for the second time. Ordinances are used for such items as creating new city laws, amending existing city laws, rezoning property or authorizing the city’s budget. If you want to comment on a specific ordinance, the time to do that is during its public hearing. 
    • Virtual Participation: Online viewers of regular or special City Council meetings will be given the opportunity to provide verbal testimony at public hearings. If you would like to participate virtually for a public hearing, you must register with the City Clerk by noon the day of the meeting by email at CCO@lakewood.org or by calling 303-987-7080.
  • General Public Comment: This is the public comment segment during regular meetings to comment on topics that do not relate to anything on that night’s agenda.
    • Presentation Aides: Presentation materials such as PowerPoints, videos and other media must be submitted to the City Clerk by noon the day of the meeting. Please send materials to CCO@lakewood.org. or call 303-987-7080 to make arrangements.
    • Council Time Check-in: This section may be limited by the 11 p.m. check-in during any regular or special meeting. If this section is limited at 11 p.m. or later, public speakers may be required to submit their public comment online via LakewoodSpeaks.org
    • Time Limits for HOA/RNA representatives: A formally selected representative of a registered neighborhood association or other neighborhood organizations who wish to speak in person shall be allowed to speak for up to ten minutes at a public hearing regarding the a matter on the agenda.
    • "Pooling" Agreements: In-person speakers may use "pooling" of time to add to the length of their comment period for public hearings. To pool time, so as to be granted up to ten minutes of speaking time, a speaker must present the names of at least three individuals who are present in the audience when the speaker is speaking and who wish to yield their three minutes to the speaker. All persons participating in the agreement must be present in Council Chambers when the speaker is called to the podium. Virtual attendees will not have the ability to "pool" time as there is no ability to verify that other individuals are present and seeking to pool their speaking time.
  • Study Sessions: These are just what the name says. The City Council studies an issue through in-depth presentations and discussions. To comment on the issues being studied, you can provide written public comment online at LakewoodSpeaks.org.

Watching meetings

You can watch council meetings in any of the follow locations.

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