DATE: Wednesday, November 12, 1997          TAG: 9711120469

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: PUBLIC LIFE 

                                            LENGTH:   61 lines

HOW TO...SPEAK AT A COUNCIL MEETING IN YOUR CITY

Remember your civics lessons? In America, you are the government.

But it would be pretty unwieldy to have all million-plus people in South Hampton Roads going their own way, so we have a system that elects folks to be our representatives, sitting them on city councils and giving them the responsibility of carrying out our wishes.

Still, even the most responsive representatives can't do your bidding unless you tell them what you want.

The most persuasive approach, according to those who have spent years in public service, is a rational one.

Avoid preaching and rhetoric, and don't underestimate the power of petitions and picking an effective spokesperson for group concerns.

City Councils control an awful lot of your everyday life, from setting real estate tax rates to approving major zoning changes and road work. Council members are elected in May, with terms staggered to give each body some continuity.

Here's when the various councils meet and how to arrange to address them:

Chesapeake: The City Council generally meets the second, third and fourth Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. Speakers can sign up until the meeting begins. They can also register ahead of time by phone or at the clerk's office. There is a five- minute time limit per speaker, and the council can decide whether to allow late or early periods for addressing items not on that week's agenda. Call the clerk's office for more information: 382-6152.

Norfolk: The City Council meets 2:30 p.m. every Tuesday except the fourth Tuesday in a month, when it meets at 7:30 p.m. Citizens may speak at all but the first Tuesday meeting, which is considered a policy and information meeting. They are also generally not invited to speak at meetings that fall on a fifth Tuesday in a month. Speakers are usually limited to three minutes. Call the clerk's office for more information: 664-4253.

Portsmouth: The City Council meets the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. Speakers can register by phone or sign up until the meeting begins. There is a five-minute limit per speaker. Call the city clerk's office for more information: 393-8639.

Virginia Beach: The City Council meets the first and second Tuesday of every month at 2 p.m. and the fourth Tuesday at 6 p.m. Citizens may speak about items on the agenda. To discuss something not on that week's agenda, they must be sponsored by a City Council member. Speakers are allowed five minutes to discuss nonagenda items and three minutes for those on the agenda. Citizens may sign up to speak at the city clerk's office or by phone. The clerk's number is 427-4303.

Suffolk: This is the only area City Council that meets on Wednesdays. The council is in session on the first and third Wednesday of every month beginning at 7 p.m. To speak on nonagenda items, citizens must register in person or by phone by noon the day of the meeting. Sign-up slips are also available outside the meeting and may be filed out and given to the clerk before the meeting begins. Nonagenda items are discussed after the regular meeting.

Those addressing the council early have five minutes, those speaking in the late public hearing are limited to three minutes. Call the clerk's office for information or to sign up: 925-6423. Yesterday No city council met Tuesday because of the Veterans Day holiday.

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