Addressing City Council

Time is set aside at the meeting for Constituents Comments. You may use this time to express an opinion on subjects not already on the agenda. The Constituents Comments section will be limited to 30 minutes. Comments are limited to 3 minutes per person, whether they are speaking for themselves or for a group. Each person will be expected to speak for themselves and not allowed to give their time to someone else. 

Courteous & Respectful

Constituents Comments must be courteous, respect proper decorum and refrain from personal attacks. All remarks should be addressed to the council as a whole.

Guests

Persons addressing the council who are not specifically scheduled on the agenda should sign in on the sheet provided by the city clerk and are requested to step up to the podium, give their name and address for the record, and limit their remarks to 3 minutes. Citizens may comment on individual agenda items at times during any regularly scheduled city council meeting prior to council discussion. These comment times are in addition to the Constituents Comment portion of each regularly scheduled meeting.

When presenting testimony, step up to the podium and introduce yourself to the council. State your name and address, then whether you support or oppose the issue. Summarize your information and give reasons why you support or oppose the issue. Speak loudly and clearly. Please limit your comments to three minutes or less. 

Summarizing Statements

You may summarize any written information at the podium, then give copies to the city clerk. Copies will be distributed to the council. If someone has already covered points you intended to make, state that you agree with previous testimony.

The mayor has the authority to preserve order at all meetings of the council and cause the removal of any person from any meeting for disorderly conduct. Any person making personal, impertinent, or slanderous remarks, or who becomes boisterous, threatening, or personally abusive while addressing the council, may be requested to leave the meeting. The mayor may command the assistance of any peace officer of the city to enforce all lawful orders of the mayor to restore order at any meeting.

• Call to Order
• Invocation/Pledge of Allegiance
• Roll Call
• Consideration of Minutes
• Changes/Revisions to the Agenda
• Presentations and Awards (including Proclamations)
• Constituents’ Comments
• Public Hearings
• Board and Commission Recommendations
• Ordinances and Resolutions
• Mayor’s Report and Council Members’ Reports
• Consent Calendar
• City Manager’s Report
• Miscellaneous Information Only
• Adjournment

The Longview city council invites citizens to share information or concerns with them at a council meeting. You may also call a council member at home. Their phone numbers are listed in the local phone books. And, you may directly email a council member by logging onto the city council web page.

Certain issues, however, should be directed to City staff instead of the council, outside city council meetings such as:

• Complaints about staff members - Responsibility for dealing with staff issues should be directed to a specific department head first, then to the Executive Office.
• Requests for information or services - If you don’t know which department to call, contact the Executive Office at 360-442-5004.
• Complaints about services - If you don’t know which department to call, contact the Executive Office at 360-442-5004.
• Letters - Letters may be sent to council members by hand-delivering or mailing them to the following address. Rarely is any action taken until after the issue has been researched and reviewed by both council and staff.
  City Hall
  P.O. Box 128
  Longview, WA 98632
• Policy issues - Policy or legislative issues may be brought before the council at a regular council meeting. If a law or policy change is needed, it will be placed on a future agenda for full discussion and consideration.

How City Council Communicates to Citizens

1. City Council communicates to the City Manager
2. City Manager communicates to the Department Head
3. Department Head communicates to the Department Staff
4. Department Staff communicates to the Citizens

How Citizens Communicates to the City Council

1. Citizens communicates to the Department Staff
2. Department Staff communicates to the Department Head
3. Department Head communicates to the City Manager
4. City Manager communicates to the City Council