If you are unable to attend a city council meeting in person, you can watch it on the City of Encinitas Youtube Channel or on the city’s website. Here’s the current meeting schedule and information about city council subcommittees.
To view via television:
Cox Communications: Ch. 19
Spectrum: Ch. 24
AT&T U-Verse: Ch. 99
If you want to understand what local government is doing, start by reading meeting agendas. (See our page All About Agendas.)
Want to weigh in on an agenda item coming before the City Council?
You can email your comments to the City Clerk at [email protected] with the agenda item number/title in the subject line. Comments must be received by 3:00 p.m. on the meeting day (or before for specific commission meetings) to be included in the official record.
Comments submitted by email on agenda items are shared with the Mayor and City Council Members and become part of the official meeting record.
You can view the current City Council agenda here: Agendas & Webcasts
A few helpful things to know:
- Emails about agenda items are public records under the California Public Records Act and may be publicly disclosed.
- Sending an email is a great way to make sure your thoughts are included in the record.
- If you would also like to speak at the meeting in person, you will still need to fill out a Request to Speak Slip at the beginning of the meeting.
- Request to Speak Slips are available in the City Council Chambers.
Every comment helps build a fuller public conversation, and speaking up is one of the simplest ways to participate in local government
Oral Communications: Up to 30 minutes are allotted at the beginning of meetings for non-agenda items, usually limited to 3 minutes per speaker. The mayor may decide to limit comments to two minutes if there are a large number of speakers, or they might decide to split oral comments into two segments (some at the beginning of the meeting, some at the end.)
To submit a public comment speaker slip in Encinitas,
Fill out a physical pink slip available at the back of the Council Chambers and submit it to the City Clerk before the item is heard. For oral communications, use a white slip. Comments can also be emailed to [email protected].
Key Information for Encinitas Public Comment:
Location: City Council meetings are generally held in the Council Chambers, 505 S. Vulcan Ave, Encinitas, CA 92024
Agenda Items (Pink Slips): Complete a pink speaker slip indicating the item number you wish to speak on.
Oral Communications (White Slips): Use a white slip to speak on items not on the agenda.
Timing: Submit slips no earlier than one-half hour before the meeting and before the public testimony for that item concludes.
Time Limit: Each speaker is allowed three (3) minutes to address the City Council. Be prepared for comments to be cut to two minutes if there are a large number of speakers.
Virtual/Email Option: Emails regarding agenda items must be sent to the City Clerk at [email protected].
Support/Opposition Only: If you do not want to speak but want to register your position, fill out a pink slip, mark your position, and check the “but do not wish to speak” box.
The City Clerk handles public records requests for the City of Encinitas and keeps the city’s official records.
Under the California Public Records Act, the city must respond to a request within 10 calendar days. The City Clerk’s office reviews each request, decides whether the records can be released, and lets the requester know the decision and the reason for it. You can submit a public records request by visiting this page on the city’s website.
Pursuant to Government Code Section 6252(e), a public record is defined as “any writing containing information relating to the conduct of the public’s business prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics.”
Public records requests may be used to obtain “agency records,” which include a wide variety of documents and other materials (including print, photographic, and electronic formats) that were created or obtained by the agency and are, at the time the request is filed, in the agency’s possession and control. The CPRA excludes certain categories of records from disclosure.
You can view previous public records requests, which can be very helpful if you’ve never done one and would like to see how other residents have submitted theirs.