Salt Lake City

City Council

801-535-7600 | council.comments@slcgov.com

Council Meeting FAQ

Below are frequently asked questions regarding council meetings.

What to Expect

The Salt Lake City Council holds meetings at the City & County Building (451 South State Street, 3rd floor, Salt Lake City, UT) and welcomes the public to join in-person or online via Zoom.com. See below for more information about the Council meetings. If you are interested in speaking, the Council holds Public Hearings and General Comment time during the Formal Meetings two times per month. You can join online or in-person to make comment.

Visit the Council’s agenda portal for meeting agendas, supporting documents, and videos.

The Council generally holds three kinds of meetings:

  • Work Session
    • The Council discusses City business and new proposals during Work Sessions.
    • Work Sessions are listen-in only, for public comments please see “Formal Meeting” info below.
  • Formal Meeting
    • The Council holds two Formal Meetings per month to take action and listen to comments from the public during Formal Meetings.
    • You can make public comment in-person or online via Zoom.
    • In order to register for online public comment, please come back to this page after the meeting agenda is published (at least 24 hours before the meeting starts). If you plan to comment in-person, you can fill out a comment card when you arrive at the City building.
  • Redevelopment Agency (RDA) Meeting
    • The Council also serves as the Board of Directors for Salt Lake City’s Redevelopment Agency. The Board is given policy-making authority, while the Mayor serves as the Executive Director.
    • You can make public comment in-person or online via Zoom.
    • In order to register for online public comment, please come back to this page after the meeting agenda is published (at least 24 hours before the meeting starts). If you plan to comment in-person, you can fill out a comment card when you arrive at the City building.

View instructions on how to register and what to expect during the meeting

Frequently Asked Questions regarding Council Meetings

Meeting Details

The City Council typically meets two Tuesdays a month. All meetings are open to the public. 

Council Work Sessions, during which the Council discusses City business generally begin at 2 p.m. unless noted.

Formal meetings, during which the Council takes action and listens to comments from the public, begin at 7 p.m. Not all Formal Meetings include a public comment period. Please check the meeting agenda to confirm a public comment period is scheduled and the meeting room.

Meetings in addition to those listed on the annual meeting schedule may be held or canceled as circumstances may require, subject to applicable public notice requirements.

Council meetings are held in a hybrid format. Hybrid meetings allow people to join online through Zoom or in person at the City & County Building and remain mindful of existing COVID-19 protocols and gathering limits.

Public Comments: The public can give comments to the Council during their 7 p.m. formal meetings online through Zoom or in person in Room 326 of the City and County Building. Zoom connection information will be available 24 hours before the meeting on the virtual meetings webpage.  

Resources for People with Disabilities

People with Disabilities who would like to attend a meeting may call the Council Office at 801-535-7600 or TDD 801-535-6021 to make requests for reasonable meeting accommodations, including interpreters, auxiliary aids, large type agendas and #2 Braille agendas, among others.

How to Speak to the Council at a Meeting

The public can address the Council about any matter they wish during the public comment section of a meeting. The Council also holds public hearings, where the public is invited to speak about a specific topic the Council is currently considering. Both the public comment section and public hearings are scheduled during the formal meeting and are listed on the agenda.

To speak during either, you’ll be asked to fill out a comment card for in person or register for online participation. Your name will be called when it’s your turn to speak and you’ll have two minutes to share your thoughts.

Public Meeting Rules

The Council’s meetings are a place for people to feel safe and comfortable in participating in their government.  A respectful and safe environment allows a meeting to be conducted in an orderly,
efficient, effective, and dignified fashion, free from distraction, intimidation, and threats to safety.

In order to support a respectful meeting, items that disrupt the meeting, intimidate other participants or that may cause safety concerns are not allowed. For example:

  • Council staff or security officers may ask you to open any large bags, purses or backpacks for inspection, and may also request changes to placement of recording equipment or other props to help facilitate the meeting.
  • Jeering, cheering, clapping and waving signs may intimidate other speakers and cause a disruption, so please refrain from such activities.
  • Please be respectful to the historic elements in the room such as:  keep feet off furniture; avoid leaning or touching paintings and other décor; and no food or drinks are allowed in the Council Chamber (Room 315).
  • Generally, props and equipment are not allowed. If you have a prop or piece of equipment integral to a presentation, please clear its use with a staff member or security officer before entering the meeting room.
  • Signs are permitted; however, so that they do not cause disruption or block the view of others, please follow these guidelines:  signs should be able to be kept at your feet or on your lap; sticks or dowels are not allowed; signs can be kept near the podium on the floor during your turn to speak.
  • If you have questions about proper placement of recording equipment or recording in general, please coordinate this with a security officer or staff member before the beginning of the meeting who will make requests to help ensure that it does not disrupt the meeting or make other attendees feel uncomfortable
  • If you have written remarks, a document, or other items you may want the City Council to review, do not approach the dais.  Instead, please give them to Council staff and they will distribute them for you.
  • Failure to follow these decorum rules may result in removal from the meeting.

Print Version

Community Youth Groups, Pledge of Allegiance

The City Council welcomes participation from youth and community groups in leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of meetings. Boy Scouts troops, Girl Scout troops and other community groups that would like to lead the pledge are invited to contact the City Council Office at 801-535-7600.

Adopted City Laws

View ordinances adopted into city code.