Guides
How to File a Public Records Request: FOIA and State Laws
How to file a public records request: federal FOIA vs. state laws, finding the records officer, a sample request letter, fees, deadlines, appeals, and MuckRock.
Town hall
Public meetings, agendas and how to be heard at them
Councils meet on a fixed schedule and post agendas days in advance — that posting is your window. Below are the regular schedules and official agenda portals for 80 of the largest US cities, plus what to do once you have the agenda.
Always confirm before you go. We publish the regular schedule a city sets in its charter or rules, not a live calendar: meetings get cancelled, moved to a different chamber, or continued to another night. The agenda portal linked on each row is the authoritative source, and it is also where the sign-up deadline for public comment appears.
80 cities with a published schedule
| City | Body | Regular schedule | Agenda & video |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | New York City Council | Stated Meetings roughly every two weeks (once a month in summer), Council Chamber, City Hall | Official portal |
| Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles City Council | Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10:00 a.m., John Ferraro Council Chamber, Room 340, City Hall | Official portal |
| Chicago, IL | Chicago City Council | Typically monthly, 10:00 a.m., Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St. | Official portal |
| Houston, TX | Houston City Council | Tuesdays 1:30 p.m. (public session 2:00 p.m.) and Wednesdays 9:00 a.m., City Hall, 901 Bagby, 2nd Floor | Official portal |
| Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix City Council | Generally Wednesdays, 2:30 p.m., City Council Chambers, 200 W. Jefferson St. | Official portal |
| Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia City Council | Thursdays, 10:00 a.m., Room 400, City Hall | Official portal |
| San Antonio, TX | San Antonio City Council | A Session Thursdays 9:00 a.m. and B Session Wednesdays 2:00 p.m., Municipal Plaza Building, 114 W. Commerce St. | Official portal |
| San Diego, CA | San Diego City Council | Typically Mondays 2:00 p.m. and Tuesdays 10:00 a.m., Council Chambers, 202 C St., 12th Floor | Official portal |
| Dallas, TX | Dallas City Council | Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, City Hall, 1500 Marilla St. | Official portal |
| Jacksonville, FL | Jacksonville City Council | Second and fourth Tuesdays, 5:00 p.m., Council Chamber, City Hall at St. James, 117 W. Duval St. | Official portal |
| Austin, TX | Austin City Council | Regular meetings roughly twice a month on Thursdays, Council Chambers, City Hall, 301 W. Second St. | Official portal |
| San Jose, CA | San José City Council | Tuesdays, 1:30 p.m., with 7:00 p.m. evening sessions on the first and third Tuesdays, City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara St. | Official portal |
| Charlotte, NC | Charlotte City Council | Business meetings generally the second and fourth Mondays, 5:00-5:30 p.m., Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 E. Fourth St. | Official portal |
| Columbus, OH | Columbus City Council | Council Chambers, second floor, City Hall, 90 W. Broad St.; see the Council meeting calendar for dates | Official portal |
| Indianapolis, IN | Indianapolis City-County Council | Beurt R. SerVaas Public Assembly Room, City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St.; see Council meeting calendar for dates | Official portal |
| San Francisco, CA | Board of Supervisors | Tuesdays, 2:00 p.m., Legislative Chamber, Room 250, City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place | Official portal |
| Seattle, WA | Seattle City Council | Tuesdays, 2:00 p.m., Council Chamber, Seattle City Hall, 600 Fourth Ave., Floor 2 | Official portal |
| Denver, CO | Denver City Council | Mondays, 3:30 p.m. (public comment at 5:00 p.m.), Cathy Reynolds City Council Chamber, 1437 Bannock St., 4th Floor | Official portal |
| Nashville, TN | Metropolitan Council | Generally first and third Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m., Historic Metro Courthouse, 1 Public Square | Official portal |
| Oklahoma City, OK | Oklahoma City Council | Generally second and fourth Tuesdays, 8:30 a.m., City Council Chamber, 200 N. Walker Ave., 3rd Floor | Official portal |
| Washington, DC | Council of the District of Columbia | Legislative meetings generally on Tuesdays, Council Chamber, John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW | Official portal |
| Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas City Council | Generally first and third Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m., Council Chambers, City Hall, 495 S. Main St. | Official portal |
| Boston, MA | Boston City Council | Wednesdays, 12:00 p.m., Christopher A. Iannella Chamber, Room 550, City Hall | Official portal |
| Detroit, MI | Detroit City Council | Formal sessions Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m., Council Chamber, 13th Floor, Coleman A. Young Municipal Center | Official portal |
| Louisville, KY | Louisville Metro Council | Generally second and fourth Thursdays, Metro Council Chambers, City Hall, 601 W. Jefferson St. | Official portal |
| Portland, OR | Portland City Council | First, second, fourth and fifth Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. and the third Wednesday at 6:00 p.m., Council Chambers, 1221 SW Fourth Ave. | Official portal |
| Baltimore, MD | Baltimore City Council | Generally Mondays, 5:00 p.m., Council Chamber, City Hall, 100 N. Holliday St. | Official portal |
| Milwaukee, WI | Common Council | Council Chamber, City Hall, 200 E. Wells St.; see the Legistar calendar for regular meeting dates | Official portal |
| Albuquerque, NM | Albuquerque City Council | Generally Mondays, 5:00 p.m., Vincent E. Griego Council Chambers, 1 Civic Plaza NW | Official portal |
| Fresno, CA | Fresno City Council | Generally Thursdays, Council Chambers, City Hall, 2600 Fresno St. | City website |
| Tucson, AZ | Mayor and Council | Mayor & Council Chambers, City Hall, 1st floor, 255 W. Alameda St.; see the annual meeting schedule for dates | City website |
| Sacramento, CA | Sacramento City Council | Generally Tuesdays, Council Chamber, City Hall, 915 I St. | City website |
| Kansas City, MO | Kansas City Council | Business sessions 1:00 p.m., Council Chamber, 26th Floor, City Hall, 414 E. 12th St. | Official portal |
| Mesa, AZ | Mesa City Council | Regular meetings generally the first and third Monday, 5:45 p.m., City Hall upper level, 20 E. Main St.; study sessions Thursdays 7:30 a.m. | Official portal |
| Raleigh, NC | Raleigh City Council | Council Chamber, Raleigh Municipal Building, 2nd Floor, 222 W. Hargett St.; see the council calendar for dates | Official portal |
| Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis City Council | Council Chamber, City Hall, 350 S. Fifth St.; see the Legislative Information Management System calendar for dates | Official portal |
| Tulsa, OK | Tulsa City Council | City Council Chamber, One Technology Center, 175 E. Second St., 2nd Level; see agendas for meeting dates | City website |
| Tampa, FL | Tampa City Council | Regular meetings Thursdays, 9:00 a.m., City Council Chambers, Old City Hall, 315 E. Kennedy Blvd., 3rd Floor | Official portal |
| Arlington, TX | City Council | Council typically meets every other week, with an afternoon session about 2:30 p.m. and an evening session about 6:30 p.m. at City Hall | Official portal |
| Wichita, KS | City Council | Regular meetings Tuesdays at 9 a.m. in the City Council Chambers | Official portal |
| Cleveland, OH | City Council | Regular meetings Monday evenings at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers, Room 220, City Hall | City website |
| New Orleans, LA | City Council | Regular meetings roughly twice a month on Thursdays at 10 a.m. in the Council Chamber, City Hall | Official portal |
| Henderson, NV | City Council | First and third Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers | Official portal |
| Honolulu, HI | City Council | Full Council meets about once a month, generally on a Wednesday at 10 a.m., at Honolulu Hale (some meetings at Kapolei Hale) | Official portal |
| Anaheim, CA | City Council | Meetings are held on Tuesdays, with open session at 5 p.m. (closed sessions/workshops at 3 p.m.); at least two regular sessions a month | Official portal |
| Orlando, FL | City Council | City Council meets at 2 p.m. on scheduled Mondays (agenda review at 1 p.m.) in Council Chambers at City Hall | Official portal |
| Lexington, KY | Urban County Council | Work sessions Tuesdays at 3 p.m. and regular council meetings Thursdays at 6 p.m. in the Council Chamber | Official portal |
| Stockton, CA | City Council | Regular meetings are held on Tuesdays in the City Council Chamber at City Hall, with at least one regular meeting each month | Official portal |
| Riverside, CA | City Council | Regular meetings Tuesdays at 3 p.m. in the Art Pick Council Chamber, City Hall | Official portal |
| Irvine, CA | City Council | Second and fourth Tuesday of each month, regular session at 4 p.m., City Council Chamber | Official portal |
| Corpus Christi, TX | City Council | Meets Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m., at least twice a month, in the Mayor Betty Turner Council Chambers at City Hall | Official portal |
| Santa Ana, CA | City Council | First and third Tuesday of each month; closed session between 3 and 5 p.m., public meeting at 5:45 p.m. in the Council Chamber | Official portal |
| Cincinnati, OH | City Council | Regular meetings Wednesdays at 2 p.m. in Council Chambers, Room 300, City Hall | Official portal |
| Greensboro, NC | City Council | Council meetings begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Katie Dorsett Council Chamber, Melvin Municipal Office Building | Official portal |
| Pittsburgh, PA | City Council | Regular meetings Tuesdays at 10 a.m.; standing committees Wednesdays at 10 a.m., Council Chamber, fifth floor of the City-County Building | Official portal |
| St. Paul, MN | City Council | Regular meetings Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. (except the fifth Wednesday) in Council Chambers, Room 300, City Hall | Official portal |
| Durham, NC | City Council | First and third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers, City Hall | Official portal |
| Jersey City, NJ | Municipal Council | Second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Anna Cucci Memorial Council Chambers; caucus meetings the second and fourth Monday at 4 p.m. | Official portal |
| Lincoln, NE | City Council | The full council meets most Mondays in regular session at 3 p.m. in the County-City Building | City website |
| North Las Vegas, NV | City Council | Regular meetings are generally held on the first and third Wednesday of the month at 4 p.m. at City Hall | Official portal |
| Plano, TX | City Council | Regular meetings are generally held on Mondays (commonly the second and fourth Monday) at the Plano Municipal Center | Official portal |
| Gilbert, AZ | Town Council | The council typically meets twice a month on rotating Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. | Official portal |
| Madison, WI | Common Council | Regular meetings Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the City-County Building | Official portal |
| Reno, NV | City Council | Regular meetings are held in the City Council Chamber at City Hall and begin at 10 a.m. | Official portal |
| Chandler, AZ | City Council | Council meetings are usually the second and fourth Thursdays of the month, with study sessions the Monday before | Official portal |
| St. Louis, MO | Board of Aldermen | Full Board meetings are held Fridays at 10 a.m. in the Board of Aldermen Chamber at City Hall | City website |
| Chula Vista, CA | City Council | Regular meetings are held Tuesdays at 5 p.m. in the Council Chambers | Official portal |
| Fort Wayne, IN | Common Council | Regular sessions on the second and fourth Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. in Citizens Square, Room 35; committee sessions on Tuesdays | City website |
| Laredo, TX | City Council | Regular meetings on the first and third Monday of each month in the City Hall Council Chambers | Official portal |
| St. Petersburg, FL | City Council | Council meets Thursdays: first Thursday at 9 a.m., second Thursday at 3 p.m. and third Thursday at 1:30 p.m. | Official portal |
| Toledo, OH | City Council | Regular meetings Tuesdays at 4 p.m. in Council Chambers, with agenda review sessions beforehand | Official portal |
| Glendale, AZ | City Council | Council meetings are held at the Glendale Civic Center, 5750 W. Glenn Drive, on dates listed in the posted meeting calendar | Official portal |
| Winston-Salem, NC | City Council | Regular meetings are generally on Mondays (about the first and third of the month) at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers, City Hall | Official portal |
| Irving, TX | City Council | Regular meetings are held on designated Thursdays at 7 p.m. | Official portal |
| Scottsdale, AZ | City Council | Council meets twice a month at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays in the City Hall Kiva, 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd. | Official portal |
| Boise, ID | City Council | Meetings every Tuesday at 6 p.m. on the third floor of City Hall, except the fourth Tuesday, which begins at noon | Official portal |
| Richmond, VA | City Council | Formal meetings on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Council Chamber, second floor of City Hall | Official portal |
| Frisco, TX | City Council | Regular meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m., with work sessions at 4 p.m. | Official portal |
| Cape Coral, FL | City Council | Regular council meetings begin at 4 p.m. in Council Chambers (schedule adopted annually by the City Clerk) | Official portal |
| Huntsville, AL | City Council | Regular meetings on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building council chambers | City website |
No city matches that search. The full directory covers 100 cities — browse it here.
What to do with an agenda
Find your item
Action items are what the body votes on. Anything on the consent agenda passes in one block unless a member pulls it — ask yours to pull it.
Read the backup
The staff report attached to the item contains the real argument: the cost, the alternatives considered, and the recommendation.
Sign up in time
Many cities close the speaker list before the meeting starts, and some require a form filed the day before.
Say one thing
Two or three minutes is 250–400 words. Name your district, state your ask in the first sentence, give one piece of evidence, repeat the ask.
Guides for meeting week
Guides
How to Write to Elected Officials: Letters, Emails and Calls That Work
How to write to your congressman or city council: email, letter, and call templates, what staff actually do with your message, and a clear do/don't table.
Guides
How to Find Your Representatives by ZIP Code or Address
Find my representative by zip code: official tools for your U.S. House member, senators, state legislators and council district — and why ZIP codes mislead.