Never attended a public hearing? Here‘s how it works.

First of all: what is a public hearing? A public hearing is an opportunity for members of the public to speak directly to their elected or appointed representatives about a policy proposal they are considering. Put differently, it’s a time for decision makers to hear what the public thinks about a particular issue to help them decide how to vote.

It’s important to note that there are several different local governing bodies that hold public hearings. Almost all of the public hearings that Sustain Saint Paul members attend are hosted by either the Planning Commission or the Saint Paul City Council. Make sure you read the information below for the correct governing body.

Saint Paul Planning Commission

The Saint Paul Planning Commission is a 21-member advisory body made up of resident volunteers appointed by the mayor and approved by the city council. It makes recommendations on planning and zoning issues, studies, and amendments: for example, changes to the city’s rules about what kind of housing can be built where. Their recommendations are then passed on to the city council, which has the final say on city laws.

The Planning Commission often schedules public hearings during their meetings, which take place every other Friday morning in the basement of City Hall, at 15 W Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55102. To find out what the Planning Commission is working on, and whether or not they’ve scheduled a public hearing, visit their page on the city website and scroll down to find their upcoming agenda, which is typically posted about a week before their meeting. You can also find an archive of past agendas and minutes there.

Saint Paul City Council

The Saint Paul City Council is the 7-member elected legislative body of our city: they enact and amend Saint Paul’s city policies. They meet every Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. on the third floor of City Hall. To find out what they’re working on, and whether or not they’ve scheduled a public hearing, visit the agenda for their upcoming meeting at this website. Look for the row nearest the top of the grid named “City Council,” and open the PDF file in that row under the “Agenda” column. Scroll through the Agenda PDF until you find the heading “PUBLIC HEARING,” and see if there are any issues you care to speak about.

See the options and procedures for live testimony on the city council’s Public Hearing Live Testimony page.

Sign up to receive agendas

Pro-tip: you can sign up to have City Council and Planning Commission agendas emailed to you! Scroll to the bottom of this webpage, and submit your email address into the field under the heading “Sign Up for City Council Agendas.” From there, you’ll be given the option to subscribe to receive email updates from the Planning Commission, as well as updates on other city topics that may interest you.

Speak at a public hearing

To speak at a public hearing, show up at the meeting of the City Council or Planning Commission where the public hearing will occur. You don’t need to arrive when the meeting begins. Don’t worry about rehearsing or being polished. Just speak from the heart! City council members take each testimony seriously. Those who speak up get heard.