Request to Speak - Community Matters

City Council holds a public comment session, called "COMMUNITY MATTERS", for up to 16 speakers during each regular City Council business meeting, starting generally at 6:30 PM. Speakers may sign up in advance of the meeting for 8 of the 16 slots. You may request a speaking slot starting at 9:00 AM the day after the previous Council meeting through 9:00 AM the day of the Council meeting at which you would like to speak.

SIGN UP TO SPEAK

To sign up in advance to speak at the next regular City Council meeting: 

• Fill out the Community Matters Request to Speak FORM, OR
• Email the Clerk of Council office, OR 
• Call the Clerk of Council Office at 434-970-3113. 

Provide your NAME, ADDRESS, and the TOPIC about which you wish to speak.  Please be specific.

If you miss the 9:00 AM signup deadline on Council meeting day, you will have an opportunity during the meeting to raise your hand to speak after pre-registered speakers until a total of 16 slots are filled.  There is also time at the end of the meeting for Matters by the Public.

Process for Determining Speaker slots 1-8 and Wait List

Each request is assigned a number. All numbers are submitted to an online random number sequencer that generates random numbers in the range of total sign-ups. (Example: 30 people sign up, and 30 random numbers are generated between 1 and 30.) The first 8 randomly generated numbers are given speaking slots. The remaining speakers are placed on the wait list in the randomly generated order. Both the list of eight speakers and the wait list are published on the City’s website by Noon on the day of the Council meeting. Clerk staff will notify speakers of their status. Waitlisted individuals may fill speaker slots if any of speakers 1-8 are unable to attend the meeting. 

Pre-registered Speaker list for November 20, 2023 City Council meeting 

1.  Jay Oschrin
2. Roy  Van Doorn
3. Lisa Draine
4. Kate Fraleigh
5. Ellen Contini-Morava
6. Ruby Cherian
7. Kirk Bowers
8. Darryl Jones

Wait List

1.  Anne Benham
2. John Hossack
3. Rosia Parker
4. Natalie Oschrin
5. Demarcus Brown

• Speakers may speak for up to three minutes and shall begin by identifying their name and place of residence.
• Matters being considered under Public Hearing should not be discussed during Community Matters.
• Once pre-registered speakers have spoken, the mayor will open the floor for the remaining slots during Community Matters.
• **UPDATED 10/16/23: City Council by motion suspended public comment by Zoom until further notice. Public comments will be accepted in person.** Participants wishing to speak by electronic means should indicate so by using the Raise Hand icon on the Zoom webinar or by pressing *9 by phone. If a speaker is not present when their name is called, the slot will be forfeited.
• The person whose name is listed on the speaker sheet must be the person who begins speaking, although they may be accompanied by others and may share or concede their time.
• Matters by the Public is also held at the end of each meeting; there is no limit on the number of speakers, and the same three minute time limit applies for each speaker. Advance sign-ups are not required.
• **UPDATED 10/16/23: City Council by motion suspended public comment by Zoom until further notice.* Public comments will be accepted in person.* For public hearings, the presiding officer will alternate calling on in-person and virtual speakers.
• In rare cases when a meeting is postponed or continued, the Speaker List for the original meeting will remain in place for the new date. No additional sign-ups will be processed.