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

Residents First
Residents First is a brilliant and long overdue proposal. As a twenty years resident of Slavic Village, I remain furious that owners of empty buildings in my neighborhood do nothing in an effort to breathe life into the area. Buildings languish and decompose right in front of our eyes while absent property owners wait for some kind of resale payoff that will likely never come. They must be held accountable to the neighborhoods they so callously neglect.
Nick Kackloudis
Residents First legislation
I fully support the passage of the Residents First legislation that will work toward solving the many problems associated with absentee, fraudulent and inactive landlords in Cleveland. As I tenant, I have a keen and vested interest in ensuring that this important legislation passes. Thankfully I rent from a family member but I shudder to think about the time in the future when I may have to rent from a private landlord, corporation, etc. Frankly it is very likely that I will move out of Cleveland to avoid the many pitfalls associated with renting from these absentee landlords.
It is only fair and just that renters in the city of Cleveland have the ability to live in a clean, safe and affordable home.
Please do what is in the best interests of those you represent and pass this important legislation.
Thank you for your consideration of my comments.
Nancy Likens
Genocide in Gaza and Ethnic cleansing in Palestine.
Richmond California becomes the first US city to declare support for Palestinians. All people in Gaza and Palestine are currently facing a campaign of ethnic cleansing, and genocide with collective punishment by the state of Israel.
Human Rights organizations are blind, deaf, speechless, and inhuman, while People in Gaza being slaughtered cruelty by the 100's every single day on Live on all T.V. all over the world by the hands of Zionists, and the American government and its army and troops.
basma hamid
Genocide of Palestinians
As the weeks pass by, 7,000+ Palestinians have been murdered by Israel and every country that has financially backed them. This includes the state of Ohio who has sent millions upon millions of dollars to Israel. Cleveland has continued to either be silent in this genocide, or you have politicians who have been in CLEAR support of the Genocide. State Rep. Max Miller commented on the situation saying “you can put a nice parking lot where Palestinians live”. This is horrifying and I demand Cleveland takes a FIRM stance AGAINST Israel and stops funding this genocide.
Emily Farr
My taxes paying for an ethnic cleansing
I am horrified to know that the money I pay in taxes is funding the genocide that’s happening to Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli state. The fact that Cleveland has not made a firm stance against this genocide proves that the people representing the people of Cleveland have been bought out. It is absolutely deplorable. The death of Palestinians is on the hands of Cleveland if this continues. The Palestinian people are protected under international humanitarian law and their rights are currently being violated while the U.S. government sits back and continues to provide military, financial, and unwavering moral support to the Israeli government.  This genocide of the Palestinian people while the world watches in silence is one of the most unspeakable acts I have ever witnessed in my lifetime. The city of CLEVELAND is sitting back. Do something.
Emily Farr
Public Comment
This comment should be for Cleveland issues and not for foreign or issues about statements. Been trying to sign up for 3 weeks and everytime it's full because if foreigners signing up for comment that isn't Cleveland related. Fix this problem!
John
Cleveland does NOT stand with Israel
At this point it's appalling that city council and the mayor are ignoring us. When you make a sweeping, controversial statement, especially when it's about literal genocide, you need to expect pushback. It's weak of you all to just roll your eyes and act like we're the ones out of line when we want our voices heard. I know council already doesn't do anything and doesn't listen to people who don't donate thousands of dollars to campaigns, but at least pretend to listen. Get it together, y'all.
Milo Schumann
Cleveland Tax Payer Support of Genocide
I do not support the colonial state of Israel. It keeps me up at night that my tax payer dollars are being used to kill children. Do not speak on behalf of the City of Cleveland if you cannot speak for all- and more importantly those being exterminated from their homes.
Will Grimm
Palestinian Genocide
I am calling that Council President and my ward representative Blaine Griffin rescind his statement of support for Israel and rather denounce the genocide of Palestinians by Israel and US funding. I will never support my tax dollars going to an apartheid state and am appalled by the silence of council on this issue, ignoring the thousands of Palestinians and their allies here in Cleveland. You have the power to support your constituents and yet you don't. You continually threaten to, and in some cases actually, shut down public comment. You have the power of the purse, choosing where to receive money from and where to send money. We will remember who spoke out against a genocide and those who didn't.
D Dickinson
Supporting Israel while it commits genocide
The mayor and council should have way more important things to worry about in the city of Cleveland than supporting a foreign country that is currently committing genocide on the Palestinian people. Your actions threaten the safety of your own residents that you were voted in to represent. Instead you alienate them and open them up possible harm and ridicule for being Palestinian. You all should be ashamed and turn and immediate corner and support a ceasefire and an end to the killing of innocent people.
Brian