Participating in City Council Meetings

Berkeley’s City Council meets regularly to discuss and make decisions on local laws and policies. Berkeley residents, business owners, and other stakeholders can give input on these decisions by commenting at a City Council meeting or submitting written comments in advance of the meeting. You can also contact the Mayor and Councilmembers directly.

Make a plan to participate

City Council generally meets on two Tuesdays of the month at 6:00 pm, and occasionally organizes additional special meetings. View the City Council meetings page to see upcoming dates, times, and meeting agendas.

Review agendas for upcoming meetings to decide if there are any decisions you would like to comment on. You can access regular meeting agendas 12 days before the meeting online or in person at the City Clerk Department.

Closed captioning is provided on live and recorded videos. To request a disability-related accommodation(s) to participate in the meeting, please contact the Disability Services specialist at ada@berkeleyca.gov or (510) 981-6418 (V) at least three business days before the meeting date.

You can watch meetings in formats that don't allow for public comment, such as:

• Watch from Cable B-TV (Channel 33)
• Watch live streaming online

If you miss the live meeting, you can watch a recording online or on B-TV on Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. and the following Sunday at 9:00 a.m.  You can also visit the City Council meeting video and audio archive.

Join in or comment at a meeting

You can join City Council meetings virtually or in person. 

In-Person Participation

City Council, unless noticed otherwise in an agenda, meets in person at: 

Berkeley Unified School District Boardroom  
1231 Addison Street 
Berkeley, CA 94702 

Any member of the public may attend, however, if you are feeling sick, please do not attend the meeting in person.

Virtual participation

To participate in a City Council meeting virtually, you can choose to join online using Zoom or by phone.

Online 

1. Follow the link posted on the first page of the meeting agenda.
2. To speak, use the "raise hand" icon near the bottom of the screen and wait.
3. The meeting Chair will call your name when it is your turn. 

To use this option, you will need to use the Zoom platform. Zoom provides instructions that you can review in advance, including joining a test meeting.  

You are not required to provide your name to participate. Your name will appear on the screen however you enter it into the app. 

Phone

1. Dial 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (Toll Free) and enter the Meeting ID. The meeting ID will be posted at the top of each meeting agenda.
2. To speak, press *9 when your item is called and wait for your turn.
3. The meeting Chair will announce when it is your turn to speak by reading the last four digits of your phone number. Press *6 to unmute your phone to speak.

Public meeting process and When to comment

At regular meetings of the City Council preliminary matters are taken up first, including ceremonial items and an opportunity to comment on general topics not on the agenda.  Next is the consideration of items on the Consent and Information Calendars, followed by the Action Calendar which includes public hearings.  At the conclusion of the Action Calendar, there is a second opportunity to comment on topics not on the agenda for those who did not speak during the first opportunity at the beginning of the meeting.

There are different times during the City Council meeting when you may comment, depending on whether you wish to comment on Consent Calendar agenda items, Action Calendar agenda items, or general topics not on the agenda. For more details on how City Council meetings work, read the Council Rules of Procedure and Order.

Comment on Consent or Information Calendar agenda items

Public comment for items on the Consent or Information Calendars happens all at once, rather than on each individual item. During the period for public comment on Consent and Information items, you can comment on any item from those sections of the agenda. You will have up to two minutes and may only speak once.

Note that the Council may choose to move items from the Consent and Information calendar to the Action Calendar. If the agenda item moves to the Action Calendar, you will be able to comment on it during that portion of the meeting.

Comment on Action Calendar agenda items

You can comment on agenda items on the Action Calendar as each item is taken up for discussion. If ten or fewer people want to speak on an individual agenda item, each speaker may speak for two minutes. If more than ten speakers want to speak, the time to speak may be reduced to one minute each.

Comment on general topics

There will be one opportunity for public comment on non-agenda matters at the beginning of the meeting, and another at the end. Up to ten people will be selected at the beginning of the meeting to address matters not on the Council agenda. If five or fewer people are identified to provide non-agenda comment, each person selected may speak for two minutes. If more than five people want to speak, up to ten speakers will be randomly selected and given a one minute time limit. The remainder of the speakers wishing to address the Council on non-agenda matters will be heard at the end of the agenda.

Comment in writing

You can provide your comments for City Council in writing by sending it to the City Clerk Department in advance.

In order to be included in the agenda packet, send your comment by 5:00 pm 15 days before the Council meeting. Your written comment will be distributed to Council along with the agenda packet under the “Communications” section.

After the agenda has been distributed, you can provide written comment on a specific agenda item. Include the agenda item topic, number, and date of the meeting.

Your written comments will be included in a supplemental packet to the agenda, which will be distributed before or after the meeting, depending on when you submit:

• Submit by 5 pm seven days before the meeting to be included in Supplemental Packet 1, distributed five days before the meeting
• Submit by 12 pm on the day before the meeting to be included in Supplemental Packet 2, distributed by 5 pm the day before the meeting
• Submissions received after 12 pm on the day before the meeting will be included in Supplemental Packet 3, distributed by 5 pm two days after the meeting

Written comments to the City Council may be submitted by email or mail:

• Email: council@berkeleyca.gov
• Mail: City Clerk Department, 2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704

Communications to the City Council are public record and will become part of the City’s electronic records, which are accessible through the City’s website. Please note: e-mail addresses, names, addresses, and other contact information are not required, but if included in any communication to the City Council, will become part of the public record.

Prohibited Objects

Note that you may not bring objects and signs that have sticks or poles attached into the Council Chamber during Council meetings.