Citizen Press Release: Becoming A Regular
BY PATTY KLEIN
A group of Findlay constituents have been attending the Findlay city council meetings regularly for about a year. More people in Findlay have been wondering how they can become involved in participating in their city government. The Regulars, as they have been called by some councilmen, show up, listen, and sometimes speak at Findlay council meetings. In the interest of encouraging civic engagement in these trying times, below is an instruction manual for how any resident can speak at a city council meeting and become a “Regular.”
Procedure For Speaking at a Findlay City Council Meeting
WHEN AND WHERE:
Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6:00. They are held in City Council Chambers which is in the Municipal Building.
THE AGENDA:
Outside the door of council chambers there is a small table. On it, you will find copies of the agenda you can take to follow along with meeting. Take one! You can also view the agenda online. They are posted sometime in the Friday before a meeting. You will find them HERE: https://www.findlayohio.gov/government/elected-officials/city-council/agenda-minutes
FILLING OUT THE FORM:
In the small table you will also find a form that is required for the public to speak during the meeting. That form is pictured below. You will need to know which ward you live in and provide all of the information requested on the form. If it is incomplete, they will not allow you to speak. There is a link on the city website for you to print the form ahead of time but it still has the old form and not the updated form.
REQUESTED ACTION:
When you speak before city council about a concern, also provide them with a clear request. Your Councilman cannot do anything about a national or state issue. Make sure the request for what change or information you need is in the section titled Submitter’s Requested Action.
TURNING IN YOUR FORM:
When you are done filling out the form, go into city council chambers and give your form to the city council president. (Currently John Harrington) He will advise you when you will be speaking. Be aware that only 4 people can speak about a given topic. If there is a hot topic in the city, speakers are chosen in the order their form is received. If there are more than 4 speakers on a topic, the council president can ask city council to hear more speakers by a quick vote.
SPEAKING:
You have 4 minutes to speak. If your concern is about something on the agenda, you will be called to speak while council is discussing that topic. If your concern is not on the agenda, you will be called up to speak during new business. Express your concern as your freedom of speech allows. However, know that council rules do not allow actual disruption or personal attacks. You can read all of Findlay City Council’s rules HERE: https://www.findlayohio.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/15951/638519929660670000
FOLLOW UP:
City Council members are not required to have a discussion with you while you are at the podium. They may or may not ask you questions about your concern. If there is no interaction, and you have not hear back from your councilman, you can call or email your councilman directly. You can also request a copy of your speaker form to see if they have noted action on your request.
This may seem like a lot but it should not be hard or intimidating. After all, City Council is made up of your neighbors.
More people should become Regulars. We have meetings built into our schedules because it’s important. Join the Regulars. We don’t have to agree on everything but we can agree that our local elected officials need to be held accountable.
