“I give public comment because I am an advocate. I think it’s a citizen’s responsibility,” states Judith Robinson, a lifelong Philadelphian and a long term real estate professional. Robinson is a seasoned speaker, and a member of the Philadelphia Documenters — an organization which recruits, trains and pays Philadelphians to attend and take notes at public meetings across the city. Documenters’ philosophy is that public meetings are workshops of democracy. For many, public comment offers a direct voice from constituents to those in power, providing crucial input in the decisions that affect one’s daily life.
Yet, the process of giving public comment can be confusing and disorienting. Meeting rules vary. Some take all comments at the end, some before voting on each item. Some require signing up in advance, others allow anyone present to come forward at the last minute. And you may or may not get a response to your comment. It can be difficult to navigate, and especially frustrating to prepare a comment and to feel like you haven’t been heard.
To make this process easier for anyone trying to give public comment for the first time, I met with spokespeople at some of the biggest public administrations in Philadelphia to write this guide. By summarizing some of the processes and guidelines on being heard in public meetings, combined with the insight of seasoned public commenters, this guide will prepare you to tackle any Philly public meeting.
City Council: Be Prepared to Wait
Philadelphia City Council meets for voting sessions on most Thursdays in City Hall and has a detailed structure for its meetings. To speak at a scheduled meeting, speakers must either call the Chief Clerk’s office (at 215-686-3406) or sign-up on the day of in Room 400, City Hall. In either case, speakers must submit their full name, the bill or resolution they will address, if they support or oppose it, and their contact information by 3:00 p.m. the day before the meeting (typically Wednesday). Once they arrive, attendees must enter at the northeast corner of City Hall (where JFK Boulevard and East Penn Square connect), bring a valid ID, and pass through security — at least one hour before the scheduled meeting time. Council’s website says “Small, handheld signs not mounted on sticks or poles are permitted” but that large banners are not.
Vincent Thompson, Communications Director for Council President Kenyatta Johnson, says at an average meeting, members of the public usually have 3 minutes to speak. However, the council president has the right to establish different time limits, such as when there is a long list of people signed up to speak.
Thompson affirmed that comment is limited only to the legislation that will be voted on in the meeting, which can be found in the agenda. As a result, public comment occurs only after the introduction of bills and resolutions, reports from committees, special business, and bills on first reading.
This may not happen until a few hours into the session — Thompson emphasized that commenters should be prepared to wait. The session usually begins at 10 a.m. but comments might not get heard until the afternoon. “Pack your patience” Thompson urges. Comment is heard directly before council members vote, specifically on bills on their second reading or final passage calendars. Additionally, the president reserves the right to limit comments (most often utilized when comment becomes repetitive). Thompson shared a complete guide to How Philly Works, which outlines in greater detail the structure of City Council meetings.
During public comment, “it is up to each Councilmember if they want to respond or not,” says Thompson. Typically, Councilmembers elect not to respond, but instead “listen and take it in,” notes Calvin Williams, another seasoned Documenter.Williams and Judith Robinson made their comments quoted in this story during a virtual panel convened by Philadelphia Documenters to share advice and experiences on giving public comment.
In addition to typical City Council stated meetings, City Council also has twenty-five different standing committees – including committees on land use, taxes, city streets, etc. The majority of bills on first reading are first referred to a committee, which offer opportunity for public input through public hearings. Public hearings are distinct from “public meetings,” however, the process to register and testify is largely similar.
Department of Planning and Development: Often a Back and Forth
The Department of Planning and Development oversees city planning of Philadelphia, including the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the City Planning Commission, the Historical Commission, the Art Commission, and other divisions. To learn more about the varying public meetings organized by the Department of Planning, I spoke to Bruce Bohri, the public relations specialist for the department, along with Mina Monavarian and David Fecteau from the City Planning Commision and Legislative Team.
Each division handles public comment a little differently, but they share a broad structure. The main distinction that was highlighted was between a public hearing and a public meeting, which have different legal standards based under Commonwealth law. The City Planning Commission, for example, will conduct a public hearing once a year or every other year. However, the Civic Design Review operates under the public meeting moniker.
The City Planning Commission, for example, conducts monthly meetings that are open to the public. Once or twice a year, it hosts a special public meeting, which is also open to the public.
Operationally, they are quite similar. “Typically, what will happen is we’ll make a staff presentation of an item,” Bohri begins, then “there might be back and forth between the commissioners and staff.” Afterwards “the public will be allowed to speak for two to three minutes, sometimes longer.” The time that speakers are allowed to comment is determined in the beginning of the meeting, but largely depends on how long the agenda is and the preference of the chair.
Similar to other meetings, the chair can also limit comment to the topic of conversation, and try to correct those who veer off topic. For those interested in speaking, all agendas are posted to each division’s page under the department’s website. However, you do not have to register in advance to offer public comment. As long as a resident can attend in person or has access to the zoom link, they are entitled to speak during public comment. Public hearings are open to anyone, and as many members of the public who want to participate are permitted to speak.
The Department of Planning and Development differs from other meetings in structure in another key way. Public comment occurs after each agenda item, rather than in a defined time. “It’s not like, oh, let’s do our whole spiel for every item and then let the public talk,” Bohri mentions, “the public isn’t waiting until the very end of the meeting.” For some meetings, the comment process is very conversational. For Civic Design Review meetings, for example “there can often be a back and forth, because the commissioners are very curious,” Monavarian mentions. Commissioners will frequently ask for clarification from commenters or staff.
The exception to this open structure are Zoning Board Hearings. The Zoning Board is technically a legal hearing, with a different set of laws and regulations. Anyone from the public can comment; you need not be a neighbor or a member of an RCO. Additionally, “you’ll hear them ask people to limit what they’re speaking about,” says Fecteau, “there are some legal standards.” Residents must have legal standing to offer testimony. Monavarian emphasizes this: “The hearings are quasi-judicial.”
Board of Education: First-Come, First-Served
As a student myself, I was particularly interested in Philadelphia’s Board of Education. I spoke with Logan Peterson, Senior Project Manager at the Office of the Board. He referred me to the associated procedures of the board meeting’s operating guidelines.
Similar to City Council, individuals who wish to speak must register by 4:00 p.m. the business day before the meeting by submitting the speaker request form or registering with board staff (at 215-400-5959). However, due to the length of many BOE meetings (most are scheduled to run from 4 to 7 p.m., but often run long), the speaker’s list is capped at 30 non-student speakers (with 2 minutes each) and 15 student speakers. Students are given 3 minutes to speak, and are permitted to speak directly after committee reports. Afterwards, the superintendent will give their remarks, the board will hear presentations, then written comments, and finally hear registered non-student speakers before voting. The agendas for each meeting can be found under “current meeting materials” on this page. If you can’t attend in person at 440 North Broad Street, you can watch a live stream here, but there isn’t a way to give testimony remotely at this time.
Speakers in both sections are registered on a first-come, first-served basis. Speakers who register after the limit is reached are placed on a primary waitlist. Additionally, a paper sign-up sheet is available during each meeting for a secondary waitlist. If a registered speaker fails to appear and a slot becomes available, speakers on the primary waitlist and then secondary waitlist are invited to fill the vacancy.
While comment is being heard, priority is given to new voices – people who did not speak at the most recent meeting are heard before those who did. Additionally, each person is only permitted to speak once at a meeting, although they are allowed to address as many topics as they would wish during that time period. The presiding officer is permitted to interrupt a participant’s statement or disconnect electronic access if the speaker exceeds the time limit or is talking about things beyond the board’s powers or authority.
After comment is given, “the Board is not obligated to respond,” Peterson explains. “In some cases they may, but it is not often.” Occasionally, however, you might also see the “Superintendent direct a member of his team to meet with the constituent outside of the meeting room.”
Similar to other large bodies, the board also has its own committee meetings and is able to call special meetings and public hearings, “public comment is the same,” Peterson clarifies, with one notable exception for public hearings, “that there is typically no cap on the number of speakers who can register.”
Conclusion:
While this overview covers some of the largest public meetings in Philadelphia, it is by no means exhaustive. Jerret Johnson, another frequent Documenter, advises “you should always plan ahead when giving public comments,” whether that means researching procedures, writing down your speech, or practicing beforehand.
Williams offered a different piece of advice: “When you live through it, it comes easy.” Encouraging speakers to draw on their lived experiences, he explains, “preparation becomes easy, because you’re only talking about what you know.” For him, that meant speaking up at SEPTA Board meetings when they were considering eliminating an important bus route. He also says persistence is key — showing up consistently, even when it feels discouraging, is essential to being heard. “With persistence, you can get results, ” Williams states. After coming together with other community members, he was able to preserve that route.
Lastly, Robinson offers an important message to any who may be discouraged: “be yourself.” “You don’t have to be anybody special,” she states. With determination, preparation, and a clear message, anyone can make an impact and inspire others to do the same. As she puts it, “speak in your own voice, because everyone else’s voice is taken.”
Correction:
This story has been corrected with the accurate spelling of the names of Mina Monavarian and David Fecteau from the City Planning Commission and Legislative Team. It also now reflects that The City Planning Commission conducts monthly public meetings, and any member of the public can testify before the Zoning Board. The full name of the municipal department that oversees city planning is the Department of Planning and Development.