How Can You Speak During a Government Meeting?

It is important for taxi drivers, as well as the public, to speak at San Francisco city board meetings.

Under the Sunshine Ordinance*, the public has the right to attend and speak during San Francisco governmental deliberations. The City operations must be open to the people’s review. The government's duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions in full view of the public. Commissions, boards, councils, and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people's business.

WHEN CAN YOU SPEAK?

• AFTER EVERY AGENDA ITEM. After every agenda item is discussed by government officials, you have an opportunity to directly talk to these officials about that specific item. You will usually be given 3 minutes to speak. However, the time given for each person to speak will vary from meeting to meeting.
  
• PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION. Time will be allotted during each open and public meeting for the public audience to speak (usually towards the end of the meeting). During this time, you can speak about anything you would like as long as it’s on a subject matter that the specific policy body governs over. (Example: You can talk about the illegal limousine industry to the SFMTA board BUT you can may NOT talk to them about problems about garbage pick-up in your neighborhood.) Again, you will usually be given 3 minutes to speak but this time can change from meeting to meeting.
  
• SPECIAL RULES FOR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETINGS. During a Board of the Supervisors meeting, the agenda does not have to give the public the opportunity to speak about an agenda item if the item has already been considered by the committee and if the public has already had a chance to speak about it. However, the Board has the discretion to allow the public to comment on the item if it has been substantially changed.

DO YOU NEED A TRANSLATOR?

Even if you don’t speak English, you may still attend and speak at these meetings. The Clerk of the Board of Supervisors will provide you with a translator. If you are a San Francisco resident and if you need a translator you may request one from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors at least 48 hours before the meeting. The Clerk’s phone number is (415) 554-5184. For meetings on a Monday or a Tuesday, you should make this request by Friday (or the last business day of the preceding week). You may also ask for sign language interpreters or note-takers.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO RECORD MEETINGS

Any person attending an open and public meeting has the right to record proceedings with an audio or video recorder or a still or motion picture camera. This can be done as long as you do this without noise, disruption, or obstruction of view.

* Sunshine Ordinance applies to all agencies, boards and commissions created by the City Charter or by Ordinance or Resolution passed by the Board of Supervisors. The Sunshine Ordinance does not apply to the SF Health Authority, the SF Housing Authority, the SF Redevelopment Agency, the SF Transportation Authority, the Community College District and the SF School District. These agencies are only subject to the CA Public Records Act and the State open meeting law (which is called the Brown Act).