Members of the public are invited to address the Town Council at Town Council meetings, held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month.
Public Comments During Teleconference Meetings Due to COVID-19
Due to the Governor’s Executive Orders N-25-20 and N-29-20, which suspend certain requirements of the Brown Act, and pursuant to the orders by the Health Officer of the County of Contra Costa regarding COVID-19, the Town offices are closed to the public and meetings are not physically open to the public. All meetings are being held by Zoom teleconference platforms.
Public participation at meetings is welcomed. Public comments can be provided either in person at the meeting or in writing prior to the meeting.
Regular meetings include an agenda item titled Public Comments and Suggestions. This item allows the public to comment on items not the agenda. Public comments on items on the agenda are taken following the report and questions and prior to Council discussion of that agenda item. Each individual generally has three minutes to provide comment, however, the timing may be limited by the Mayor/Chair in order to allow all interested speakers to participate. For information on providing public comments during the meeting see How to Follow or Participate During the Meetings below.
Written public comments are accepted in advance of the meeting. Written comments should be emailed to the Clerk at TownClerk@moraga.ca.us. Comments received before 4:30 p.m. on the day of the meeting will be provided in their entirety to the Council prior to the meeting and will be a part of the record but will not be read verbally at the meeting. Addresses and phone numbers are redacted from correspondence. If you would like your comments to be anonymous, attach a document with your comments to your email.
How to Follow or Participate During the Meeting
To maximize public safety while still maintaining transparency and public access, members of the public may observe the meeting by accessing it through: livestream.com/moraga.
Members of the public may also participate by providing public comment during the meeting by joining the Zoom webinar, which will require that the Zoom app be downloaded to your smartphone or computer. Each meeting is assigned its own separate webinar address and instructions for joining each meeting webinar can be found on the first page of the meeting Agenda:
- Go to moraga.ca.us/agendacenter;
- Click on the meeting Agenda date;
- Once the Agenda opens, click on the Zoom webinar link or dial in by telephone with the number listed on the first page of the Agenda;
- Follow the prompts and enter the Webinar ID listed on the Agenda.
To make a public comment during a public comment period, when the Mayor/Chair asks for public comment, click the raise hand button at the bottom of the participant page to be placed in the queue to make a comment and unmute yourself. After making a comment, please mute yourself and click the raise hand button again to leave the queue.
How to Address Town Council During In-Person Meetings
- Please fill out a Speaker Card (available at the Town Council meeting) and submit it to the Town Clerk. Do this before the meeting or before the item is heard. This will ensure that your name is called for the item(s) that you wish to address, and will help ensure the meeting runs smoothly for all participants.
- When the Council reaches your item on the agenda, the Mayor will open the public comment and call your name. Please address the Council from the podium. Speakers are allowed 3 minutes to address the Town Council, although the amount of time allotted may vary at the Mayor’s discretion, depending on the number of speakers or the length of the agenda. Speakers may not allocate the time to another individual.
- If you wish to discuss an item that does not appear on the Town Council agenda you may address the Town Council during the “Public Comment” portion of the agenda. Please follow the same procedure for submitting Speaker Cards. Please note the Town Council is unable to discuss or take action on issues presented during Public Comment. According to State Law (The Brown Act-Government Code Section 54954.2), items must first be noticed on the agenda before any discussion or action. The Town Council may refer your issue to staff for attention, or have a matter placed on a future agenda for a more comprehensive action or report.