Speak to the Council at Meetings

Council meetings are held in a hybrid format unless otherwise noted on the Legislative Information Center. Hybrid meetings are available either in person or via Zoom webinar. Visit the Council's Participate in Hybrid Council Meetings webpage for information on how to attend, view, and speak at meetings.

  1. Speaking at Council Meetings
  2. Public Comments in Committees
  3. Special Meetings/Work Sessions
  4. Accessibility in Meetings

Speaking at Meetings

The Whatcom County Council needs and values input from Whatcom County citizens on all issues in which county government impacts their lives. The council encourages citizens to contact the councilmembers via phone, mail, or email to provide direct input to councilmembers. To speak directly to the entire council, citizens may attend and speak during one of the council’s regularly scheduled evening council meetings.

Public Hearings

The County Council will hold formal public hearings on specific issues when required by law or the council wants to hear directly from citizens on an issue. The council usually schedules these hearings during a regular evening council meeting. During the hearing, each citizen is given one opportunity to speak to the council for up to three minutes. Before or during the hearing, citizens may also submit written testimony to the council.

Open Session

In addition to public hearings on specific issues, the council usually schedules an open session at its regularly scheduled evening council meetings for public input on any topic not scheduled for public hearing.