Making an In-Person Public Comment at An Upcoming Council Meeting
Council welcomes public comments at each regularly scheduled Monday evening Council meeting.
If you are interested in speaking at a Cleveland City Council, please read the revised rules and procedures for public comments and fill out the online form below.
Submitting a Registration to Speak
Anyone who is interested in addressing Cleveland City Council at a public meeting must register with City Council prior to that meeting.
Registrations may be submitted:
- By using the online form below
- In person at Cleveland City Hall, Room 220, 601 Lakeside Avenue NE. Paper forms are available to register.
- By downloading this form, filling it out, and emailing it to publiccomment@clevelandcitycouncil.gov or dropping it off at Council offices.
Registration Periods
Registrations will ONLY be accepted between Noon on Wednesday and 2:00 pm on the same day as a regularly scheduled Monday evening Council Meeting.
Council allows no more than 10 people to comment at its regularly scheduled Monday night meetings. Registration will close as soon as the first 10 people sign up. Each registrant will be allotted 3 minutes to speak.
Registrations will only be accepted for making comments at the next regular meeting; registrations for any future meeting will not be accepted until the Wednesday before the meeting. Early, incomplete, or false registrations will be rejected.
Notice of Registration
If your registration is successful, you will be notified by email or phone.
Accommodations
If you need assistance due to a language barrier or disability, please let us know at least three (3) days in advance by going here to make a request.
Attending Council Meetings
Cleveland City Council meetings are held in the Council Chamber on the second floor of Cleveland City Hall, 601 Lakeside Avenue, East.
Visitors may park for free at the upper lot behind City Hall after 5:00 pm on days when Council is meeting.
Public Record
Please remember that all registration information and public comments are public records and can be subject to public record requests.
Decorum
Cleveland City Council must maintain orderly, efficient, and productive meetings to ensure the important business of city government is completed. Council has developed a set of rules and procedures that allow the public to be heard in a fair and orderly manner. These rules and procedures apply to all speakers, and Council does not discriminate based on the speaker's identity or viewpoint or the content of the speech. Please read Council's revised rules and procedures for public comments before you register and before you appear before City Council.
Please note: Anyone attending a Cleveland City Council meeting is prohibited from engaging in any action or behavior that substantially interrupts, delays, or disturbs the due conduct of the proceedings of the Council; such conduct includes but is not limited to: handclapping, stomping of feet, whistling, making other loud noises, yelling, or similar demonstrations. Any person who violates any of the above may be immediately removed from the Council Chamber.
Rules for Speakers
- Speakers may not yield their time to other speakers.
- Speakers shall only address the topic they registered to speak about.
- Speakers' comments shall not be frivolous or repetitive.
- Speakers shall not use language that is obscene or likely to produce imminent unlawful action.
- Speakers shall address all comments to the presiding officer.
Prohibited Items
- Signs, posters, banners, placards, or similar items
- Food and drink
Make a Comment In Person at a Council Meeting
To sign up to speak during the registration period (Noon Wednesday through 2:00 pm Monday before Council Meetings) click this button.
You will be notified by email or phone if you are one of the ten people who will speak.
Make a Comment Online
If you would rather submit your comments in writing, please fill out the form below.
Written public comments will be published on this page and delivered to all Councilmembers before the next full Council Meeting after they have been submitted.
Public Comments
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Firstly, the entire "Whereas" section of the proposed legislation reads with an implied negative bias, is filled with assumptions and contains no data. It mentions "numerous complaints" but does not support or supplement the statement with any facts.
Secondly, the licensing fees and requirements are burdensome and onerous, an annual fee, dimensioned floorplans, parking plan, booking agents insurance proof, tax payment proof, certificate of occupancy proof, transient occupancy tax proof, reviews by various city departments. This is all overreach and will create a bureaucratic nightmare to administer and enforce. I need none of this to live in my house and should not need this if I decide to allow an Airbnb guest to stay in my home.
The City already has the tools to address issues. It has the address of the complaint and the county ownership record and can cite the owner for offenses. The City should start there by addressing the problematic properties' owners. Address the Actual issue, not create further issues. I liken the proposed approach to trying to kill a problematic "fly" with a "tank" instead of a "fly swatter."
Airbnb is quite effective at monitoring the problem guests and problem hosts through their platform and review process. Problem guests get banned from the platform and problem properties don't get bookings. The market is very effective.
Lastly regarding financial impacts, I think the proposed legislation will have negative unintended consequences. My guests book with me because it is more affordable than a hotel. Most would NOT come due to affordability issues if Airbnb were not available to them. They come to Cleveland for concerts, sports events, museums, weddings, funerals, medical treatments and they frequent the restaurants and bars while visiting. They support our local economy. Additionally, Airbnb collects and remits sales and occupancy tax to the city. Driving me, and possible hundreds like me, out of the Airbnb business does not support economic growth for Cleveland while adding the cost of additional unneeded administration to the mix.
What's even more fucked up is that every other fire that happens they know how it happened but this one they can't seem to figure out why crazy right
Submissions are accepted up to 5 hours before a hearing if time slots are available