How to Best Participate in a Hybrid City Council Meeting

City Council Meetings are held in a hybrid format where residents can both stream the meetings online or attend in person. This format allows for more community engagement, giving flexibility in ways people can participate and access our public process.

These hybrid meetings allow us to reach more of the public than ever before, allowing the public to be able to share their thoughts and perspectives with their elected officials in new ways. This input is an essential component of public decision-making and the City has provided several opportunities for public comment.

Tips for an Effective Public Comment:

• Please include your Name and Address. This makes it easier to put your comment in the public record.
• Be Brief and Specific. Share exactly what you are speaking in favor or against and why. It is better to offer 2-3 compelling points than 6-7 rambling items.
• Avoid Speculation, Profanity, Slander and Accusations. This is a public proceeding and we ask all participants to be professional in their participation.

Below are the three ways in which the public can submit comments to their elected officials. The City encourages all who reside in the City of Ferndale to participate in the City’s decision-making process.

  1. Email Your Elected Officials. By far, the quickest and most direct way to provide input is to email the City Council and Mayor. Send an email to citycouncil@cityofferndale.org for the City Council or GregHansen@cityofferndale.org for the Mayor.
  2. Submit a Written Comment to be included in the Council Record. Email City Clerk Susan Duncan (susanduncan@cityofferndale.org) a statement to be included in the council minutes as public comment. Please state in your email to the City Clerk that it should be included in the written record. It must be received by 4 p.m. on the Monday of a Council meeting at the latest to be included in that meeting’s minutes.
  3. Provide a Comment in Person During a Council Meeting. City Council meetings are held at the City Annex (5694 Second Avenue) starting at 5 p.m. The public comment section of the meeting is near the start of the agenda. The meeting is open to visitors to provide an in-person public comment. The public comment must be shorter than 3 minutes.

For Council meetings, minutes, and agendas, please click here.

For more information or questions on how to best participate in the City Council decision-making process, please contact City Clerk Susan Duncan at susanduncan@cityofferndale.org or 360-685-2354.