Residents who wish to speak to a matter on the Town Council's agenda may sign up to speak with the Town Clerk, to be heard at the point in the agenda when the particular matter is to be discussed. It is not necessary to submit a petition to speak at a public hearing, although you must sign up with the Town Clerk, who sits to the far right of the Council in the front of the Council Chamber. See also Participation and Comment at Council Meetings.

The Council hears petitions, either written or oral, at the beginning of each regular business meeting. By resolution, the Council has agreed that:

1. Residents may petition the Council regarding matters germane to Town policies or business but not appearing on the agenda at petition time. Residents desiring to present such petitions are strongly encouraged to contact the Mayor's or Town Manager's Office 12 days (two Friday's) before a Wednesday night meeting to indicate their desire to petition the Council and so that the agenda distributed to the Council will reflect their petition under the "Petition" heading of the agenda.
   
   As a courtesy to others, people making a petition are normally limited to three minutes. Only one speaker shall be permitted on each petition, and the petition period is limited to 15 minutes per meeting.
   
   The Council strongly discourages petitions regarding a matter which recently has been, or which soon will be, before the Council as a public hearing item.   Petition time is not intended to substitute for public hearings.
   
   
2. Except in the case of urgency, petitions shall not be acted upon at the time they are presented. After hearing a petition, the Council shall, by simple motion, receive it and dispose of it as follows (receiving does not imply approval, agreement, or consent):
   • For consideration at the end of the meeting at which they are presented;
   • Consideration at the next regular meeting of the Council;
   • Consideration at a special meeting of the Council called for that purpose;
   • Referral to a committee of the Council for investigation and report;
   • Referral to another board or committee for study and report; or
   • Referral to the Town Manager for investigation and report.
3. It shall take a unanimous vote of the full Council declaring a petition to be of unusual urgency for such petition to be acted upon immediately upon its presentation.

See also Status of Petitions to Council