How to Speak at Santa Monica City Council, or Write to Council
Updated October 28, 2026. Every phone number was checked against an official page.
Santa Monica City Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber, Room 250, City Hall, 1685 Main Street. Anyone can speak, in person or remotely, and anyone can write in. Here is exactly how, with the deadlines that trip people up.
| To do this | Use this |
|---|---|
| Email all Council members | council@santamonica.gov |
| Written comment on an agenda item | councilmtgitems@santamonica.gov, item number in the subject |
| Speak remotely | Sign up at santamonica.gov/public-comment |
| Speak in person | Register at the Speaker Kiosk in the Chamber before your item opens |
| Questions | City Clerk (310) 458-8211, clerk@santamonica.gov |
When and where does Santa Monica City Council meet?
Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber, Room 250, at Santa Monica City Hall, 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica 90401. Agendas are posted on the City's website the week before. Meetings can run late, and items are often heard hours after 5:30, so check the agenda order.
How do I sign up to speak in person?
Register at the Speaker Kiosk in the Council Chamber before the hearing on your item opens. If you want to show slides, send them to clerk.mailbox@santamonica.gov by 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
How do I give public comment by Zoom or phone?
Sign up on the City's public comment page at santamonica.gov/public-comment. Remote sign-up opens on the last workday of the prior week at 5:30 p.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m. the day before the meeting. Miss that window and you cannot speak remotely, so sign up early.
How long can I speak at Santa Monica City Council?
Up to 2 minutes per comment section, up to 4 minutes if you speak on only one item, and no more than 6 minutes in total per meeting. If more than 25 people register for an item, each speaker gets 1 minute, except on public hearings and quasi-judicial items.
How do I submit a written comment on an agenda item?
Email councilmtgitems@santamonica.gov with the agenda item number in the subject line. The inbox opens one week before the meeting. Comments received before 12:00 p.m. on meeting day are posted online with the agenda, where Council and the public can read them.
How do I email all Santa Monica City Council members?
Write to council@santamonica.gov, which reaches all seven members. Use it for anything that is not tied to a specific agenda item. Keep it short, say you live in Santa Monica and which neighborhood, and make one clear ask.
What should I say? A 60-second template
"Good evening. My name is [first name], and I live in [neighborhood]. I'm here about [the issue]. Last [week or month], I saw [one specific thing, no names]. I'm asking Council to [one specific ask], and to publish the results every month so residents can see whether it works. Thank you."
One story, one ask, one number if you have it. Never name or describe a specific unhoused person. If you are speaking about the resident plan, the six initiatives and their sources are on the plan page, and the press brief is a one-page summary you can print.
Do I need to speak on an agenda item?
No. Each regular meeting has a general public comment period for issues not on the agenda. Speaking there is how residents put a topic in front of Council before anyone has filed it. Empower Santa Monica members plan to speak during general public input. Nothing in our plan has been filed or placed on an agenda yet.