If you are new to attending a city council meeting, you will want to know what to expect, what you can and can’t participate in, behavioral standards, etc. This is a primer on what to expect at a City Council Meeting. If you are new to attending this kind of meeting, THANK YOU for stepping up to the plate to make your voice heard. It DOES count.

From Wiki-How:

Council meetings are public forums where local officials discuss issues or bills in regards to the city. If you have any concerns about an issue in your city, you can express them during the public comment portion of the meeting. During this time, you can talk to the council members directly to let them know how you feel on a subject. After checking the guidelines for public comment, present your thoughts to the council and community. Once you present your viewpoint and the council hears it, it may make an impact on your local government!

This is an excellent and brief article on what a city council meeting is and how to prepare yourself if you’d like to make a comment.  Further along, I’ll provide an template/outline of the Hemet City Council meeting.

How to Make a Public Comment at a City Council Meeting: 8 Steps (wikihow.com)

Following the regular meeting are the various commissions the council members serve on.  They provide updates on the various government agency activities that may affect our city. 

The format of a Hemet City council is as follows:

1.  Call to order
2. Roll call
3. Invocation
4. Pledge of Allegiance
5. Communications from the Public
6. Presentations (if any)
7. Consent calendar – items on the consent calendar are generally non-controversial items that do not require much, if any, discussion.  The consent calendar allows decision-makers to group such items together under one heading and decide them at one time. Local agencies typically have a procedure for removing an item from the consent calendar for separate discussion.  This enables the item to be considered and voted upon separately if discussion is needed or if a decision-maker needs to not vote on that item because of a disqualifying conflict of interest. City council member will be asked if there are any items they wish to “pull” for discussion, separate & apart from the listed items.  The council will vote on all the other items, then discuss those items they “pulled” for a vote.
8. Discussion items (if any)

The meeting is adjourned.

The meeting may take anywhere from an hour to who knows how long.  The time involved is dependent on the issues being voted on.  There are 5 city council seats.  A majority vote if 3/2 or 4/1.  If you wind up with a tie, it means the vote has gone down to defeat.  That’s just the way it is. 

If you see something on the agenda (or do not see something you’d like to see), my suggestion would be to contact your city council member (from your district) and let them know!

HOW DO I FIND MY CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT?

The City of Hemet website has an interactive map that will allow you to type in your address. The map will display the district you live in. Once you know the district number, you can pull up the list of city council members, which shows their district. They have an email address. When you get to the meeting, if you have something you believe needs discussion, try to get the council person’s phone number (or send them an email).

IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR SUGGESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO LEAVE THEM HERE.