The council / board / commission hears comments, concerns and questions from members of the public who are present at the meeting during defined periods on the agenda.  The defined periods are listed either under "Audience Participation" or "Public Hearing".  If you wish to speak, you must submit a "Request to Speak" prior to the start of the audience participation section or public hearing topic listed on the agenda.  If the item you wish to speak about is not on the agenda, you speak during the audience participation section.   If the item you wish to speak about is the subject of a public hearing, you speak during the public hearing. 

• Audience Participation:  You may address the body on any topic (except for public hearing topics), regardless of whether the matter is on the agenda for consideration later in the meeting or not. Speakers will be called in the order the requests are registered, with City residents speaking first. City residents are allotted 5 minutes to speak; non-residents are allotted 2 minutes. Due to Sunshine Laws, members of the body will not respond to your concerns from the dais, however they are hearing your comments, as are City staff.

• Public Hearings are noted on the agenda and have a separate public comment period as part of the hearing process.  If the topic you would like to comment on is the subject of a public hearing, your name will be called at the appropriate time during the hearing.  If you are presenting evidence or testimony during the hearing, you are required to sign an oath of testimony.  If you are a legal representative appearing on behalf of your client, please indicate so when completing the check in at the kiosk.

Procedure and Decorum

Speakers submit their request to speak at the Kiosk located at the meeting entrance to the council chambers.   Once you have completed the check in process, your name and details of your request will be time stamped and placed in a que for the Clerk/staff.  

Alternatively, you can complete a request to speak online no sooner than three days prior to the meeting and use the system generated QR Code sent to your email to check in at the Kiosk when you arrive at the entrance to the Council Chambers room. 

• Be respectful. 

• Don't approach council members on the dais unless called upon to do so.

• If your name is called and you've changed your mind about speaking, simple state aloud "pass" or "my comments are the same as the previous speaker(s)".

The City of Venice also encourages citizens who won't be speaking, presenting a case or attending the meeting in-person to consider taking part in the following ways:

• View the meeting online by following the instructions posted on the meeting agenda of interest.  The agenda can be found at the:  Venice Meeting Center Calendar

• Submit an email comment to City Council or Planning Commission in advance of the meeting at: citycouncil@venicefl.gov or planningcommission@venicefl.gov
  • If the subject of your email is concerning a matter that will be before the body in a quasi-judicial hearing, the members will not respond as they sit as a decision-making body.   This means the decision they make must be based on factual information that is made part of the record during the public hearing.  Your email will be submitted to be included in the public record made on the date of the hearing.
  • If the subject of your email is not a quasi-judicial matter, please note the body has been advised not to reply substantively to your email as Sunshine Law prohibits two or more members from discussing any matter that will foreseeably come before them when they are outside of a public meeting.  Any member may discuss the topic of your email during a publicly noticed meeting.

• Submit a letter addressed to the body of interest to: 401 W Venice Ave, Venice Fl 34285
  • You do not need to address a letter to each member individually.  One letter addressed to the council, commission or board will be provided to all members of the body indicated on your letter.