Ever wonder how to attend a public meeting? These are the spaces where our elected leaders and non-elected civil servants come together to make decisions, presumably in our best interests. They meet weekly, monthly and bi-monthly and are required to do so in the open, for all to see and for all to attend if they choose. 

The Signal Akron team has years of experience attending public meetings and reporting on them. They shared their list of tips and tricks for becoming more civically engaged in Akron. 

Step 1: Which meeting should I attend?

There are plenty of reasons to attend public meetings. You may have business before a government group, or you may have a particular interest in the environment or in veterans affairs. Or you might just want to be more civically engaged and see what your elected officials are doing and how they spend your tax dollars. 

Whatever the reason, here are some tips for finding a public meeting to attend:

  • Keep up on current issues by following local media, including Signal Akron. This will help you know when something is coming before City Council or other agencies. 

Step 2: Get ready to attend 

Here are a few things you can do to be better prepared and make the most of your time at a meeting.

  • While all meetings are held in person, many are live-streamed so you can attend virtually. Look at the agency’s site for connection information.
  • Read the meeting agenda. By law, the agency is required to post an agenda ahead of the meeting, usually at least 24 hours in advance. These agendas range from simple and easy to read to complicated and full of government jargon. 
  • Want to speak during a meeting? Most groups allow this but also have limits such as time and frequency. And you’ll likely need to sign up before the meeting starts. Check on each agency’s website or with an agency representative before the meeting. 
  • Here is information about how to address Akron City Council through public comments or public hearings:
  • Read Documenters’ notes from past Akron and Summit County meetings here:

Step 3: Attending a meeting

Most public meetings follow a basic flow that helps officials get through all of the business efficiently. Many adhere to Robert’s Rules of Order, named after U.S. Army officer Henry Martyn Robert, who developed a set of rules to bring order to chaotic public meetings held in San Francisco in the late 1800s. Others may use a different standard. Whichever procedures are being used, here are the basic steps of any meeting:

  • Call to order. Each voting member identifies that they are present. 

(Steps after this may appear in different orders or not be on a specific agenda)

  • Approval of previous meeting minutes. This gives members a chance to amend any errors before the minutes are entered into the public record.
  • Public comment. 
  • New legislation, motions, ordinances. This is where the body has an opportunity to hear from committee members. Bodies may do several things with new items:
    • Discuss in the meeting
    • Vote yes or no on the item 
    • Send back (or refer) to committee for further study and information
    • Simply hear the new item. This is true if the item is a “first” or “second” reading. Many new items require three public readings before a vote can be taken. Bodies can suspend this rule by declaring an emergency, which is a frequent occurrence. 
  • Committee or executive reports
  • Old business
  • Executive session. Government bodies may move to closed session or executive session to deliberate certain items in private. They must return to public, or open, session to vote or take action. And they must, in open session, state the reason they are moving to executive session. Here’s a list of reasons that a public body can move to closed session in Ohio (learn more in Chapter 9 of the Ohio Sunshine Laws):
    • Certain personnel matters
    • Purchase or sale of property 
    • Pending or imminent court action
    • Collective bargaining matters 
    • Matters required by federal law or state statute to be kept confidential
    • Security matters or hospital trade secrets 
    • Confidential business information of an applicant for economic development assistance 
    • Veterans Service Commission applications 
  • Adjournment. This officially ends the meeting. 

Other key things to know about attending public meetings

  • Here’s a link to the Ohio Sunshine Laws, a resource for governments and residents to navigate public information as spelled out in the Ohio Public Records and Open Meetings Acts. Information on meetings starts on pg. 102.  https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Publications-Files/Publications-for-Legal/Sunshine-Laws-Publications/2023-Sunshine-Manual.aspx
  • At many meetings, it may seem as though the body has already made a decision before gathering in a public meeting. This may feel that way for a few reasons:
    • The topic or ordinance may have already been discussed in committee (where a lot of the work gets done.)
    • It may be a procedural action that requires a vote but doesn’t require much discussion.
    • It may be a third reading of an item, and all discussion has happened in previous meetings and no new discussion (from the government agency or from the public) is being requested. 
  • Meetings move fast and use lots of jargon. Google can be very helpful to learn the terms. Also, here are a few key things to know from Akron City Council:
    • Consent agendas are a way for public bodies to quickly approve a large number of items in one motion. This is often done for routine items. 
    • Declaring an emergency is a way to allow “council to dispense with the requirement that a piece of legislation be read at three separate Council meetings, and allows the legislation to go into effect earlier than 30 days from passage of the legislation.” 
    • A suspension of the rules allows “council, upon a two-thirds vote, to temporarily suspend or set aside the Rules of Procedure for Council. This motion is most commonly used to pass legislation as an “emergency.”

Community Journalism Director (he/him)
Kevin leads the Akron Documenters program at Signal Akron, connects with the community and supports the journalists in the newsroom. With a servant leader mindset, he brings more than 30 years of experience in local journalism, media consulting, and education to Akron. Editor & Publisher selected Kevin as top media leader in their “25 over 50” class in 2022. Members of the group were selected for their “strong work ethic, transformational mindsets, commitment to journalistic and publishing excellence, and their ability to lead during challenging times.” Kevin is committed to serving the residents of Akron with an optimistic, inclusive, and innovative mindset to help elevate civic engagement and local journalism.