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

 

To sign up to comment in person or online, please scroll down.

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

Filter By

Urban Forestry
I had 2 trees in the ravine behind my property be marked for removal by Urban Foresty 6/27/25, this was after I called the office and director after my street, and property were hit hard by the storms on 6/18/25. I called to follow up on 8/29/25 and was told my work order was sent to the Vacant Lots department and that it would be 12-18 months before the trees were removed! Vacant Lots told me my trees were rated a 4, lowest priority because they weren't in danger of falling on a house. These trees are dead and are covered with Asian Lantern Flies. Large limbs are falling constantly. When I asked what happens when one of the trees falls on my fence or my shed I was told I could submit a form to legal. And if they fall on my property forestry it will then go back to forestry! Forestry was in my neighbor's yard 6 weeks ago cleaning up the emergency storm damage from Ravine trees that crushed his garage and devastated his yard. What mismanagement of money is this when the trees I have marked are 50 feet away and the equipment needed was already there?! It took Foresty 6 weeks to remove logs from the neighbor's tree lawn and then they had to be called back to clean up the mess they made. It took 6 weeks for my treelawn repair to be completed after the treelawn tree uprooted and fell on my house. Where are all my property tax dollars going? It's certainly not to keep my property maintained. My councilwoman's office told me the city is trying to get the Metroparks to take over the ravine so it will be maintained. Maybe one day we will live in the Cleveland Metroparks instead of the City of Cleveland. They know how to maintain their property.
Jill White
Quality of Life
Can we please cancel the air show next year? The pilots roll into town, act disrespectful the whole time and the pretend to be heroes.
We already get taxed for their paychecks, and all they do is peacock around, making a whole lot of noise and the entire city smell like fumes. No one even attends the actual event because you can hear and smell them from Michigan!
Carlyle Addy
Gallagher school bell
I pay 7k a year in property taxes and can’t even enjoy sleeping due to the very loud and absurd school bell which isn’t necessary at all and for it to be played for 5 mins straight back to back if it doesn’t change I will sell my house and leave.
Flo
Street sweeping / overall condition of the street
Street sweeping scheduled for Tuesady Aug. 5 commenced. Why bother...operator just drove down the middle of the street in both directions. Overpaid employees that dont give a shit. Speakung of not caring how long does an abandoned car have to sit on thd street till its deemed abandoned. This one been jere 2 months. Flat tires but at least it has a plate (not sure about valid registration).
Long time fed up cituzen
JAMES BIRD
Economic development
Let’s bring Indycar to Burke Lakefront Airport. This event will bring millions of dollars to our city over a three day weekend.
Jim Buchanan
Power outages/Community Relations Board
To address the power outages involving First Energy versus power outage Cleveland Public Power regarding City of Cleveland residents.

And to address the ill-equipped of the City of Cleveland's, Mayors administration decision not to intervene when Community Relations Board is doing harm to the community regarding District Policing Committee. And is not a unifier as it is quoted in their mission statement. With residents doing the majority of the work where's the compensation?
Sabrina Otis
Crime
As a transplant to Cleveland from Youngstown—a city I love, but one that has long suffered from crime, disinvestment, and political neglect—I recognize the signs of a city on the edge. I didn’t come here expecting perfection, but I did come hoping for progress. Instead, I’m watching the same patterns play out: unsafe neighborhoods, neglected communities, and leaders more interested in stadium deals than public safety.

This summer has been a rampage on the peace of Clevelanders. People are dying. Families are terrified. And from the Mayor on down, leadership has been nowhere to be found.

I support investment in our city, but let’s be honest—those investments aren’t reaching the people who need them. There's a clear divide between the haves and the have-nots, and the gap is growing. Citizens can’t afford the taxes levied on us, let alone food, medical care, or housing. Some are left with no choice but to turn to crime for survival. And the system is failing all of us.

I’ve written to this body before—multiple times—about safety and affordability. I’ve gotten no response. Not even a generic acknowledgment. How is that acceptable from people who claim to represent us?

Cleveland is still one of the poorest big cities in this country. That’s not just a statistic—it’s a disgrace. And instead of focusing on that reality, this Council is prioritizing billionaires and stadiums over residents' lives. The politicking is shameful.

Let’s also talk about Mayor Bibb. For someone with political capital and national aspirations, he does a terrible job advocating for Cleveland at the state and federal level. The silence is loud. Either figure it out—or get out of the way and let someone who gives a damn lead.

We are tired of hope. We are tired of empty gestures. We want action.
We deserve better than this.

Sincerely,
Melvin Wilson
Concerned Citizen
Melvin Wilson
Getting answers
Why is it so difficult to get answers on speaking to city council? I have been trying but the links didnt work and now says council is on summer recess. I would like to address council at next meeting.
Larry Kanzig
Illegal use of properties and air bnb
Ohio city and Detroit shoreway has been over taken by out of state investor in local investor to profit off these hot neighborhoods. They do this by buying up properties and running them as long term air bnb. A local investor that comes to mind is house hotels. They have multiple properties in both Cleveland and Lakewood that run as illegal air bnb properties and taxes haven’t been paid. This owner who lives in Lakewood id behind on many of his properties property tax bill. He also has been cited for allowing parties at his properties that guest don’t follow Cleveland rules of quiet hours and or correct parking.
Recently a property on W47 and W45 have had large under age illegal properties that require police.
Additional residents feel very strongly that crime has upticked since pandemic with car jacking and car door handle pulling. Renter and home owner may not be reporting these crime because they know CPD will not respond so instead property continue to change hand or renters move due these issues like air bnb and the crimes they bring with them to be addressed. A $200 fine is not steep enough to keep property owner and out of state investor in line.

Ashley Schreder
My ward.
Why no one know the dates for the community meeting. No contact number for questions. I'm very disappointed with the. Councilman Anthony Hairston.
Malinda Rivers