• What are the duties of the City Clerk?
• How can I find out what the City Council will be discussing?
• When and where are the City Council meetings?
• How can I speak in front of the City Council? Do I need to fill out a form?
• How can I get a copy of the Closed Session agenda?
• Can I speak at the City Council's Closed Session meeting?
• Where can I obtain a Resolution or Ordinance?
• Are the Council meetings televised?
• Where can I obtain an audio tape, CD, VHS tape or DVD of today's Council meeting?
• Can I watch Council meetings and Council Committee meetings on the Web?
• What are the standing Council Committees?
• Where can I get the agenda for one of the standing Council Committee Meetings?
• How can I find out what happened at the City Council meeting?
• What does the Clerk charge for documents?

What are the duties of the City Clerk?

The duties of the Clerk include the administration of City elections; technical support of the City Council, including the preparation and distribution of agendas of Council meetings and agenda items as required by applicable statutes; the administration and maintenance of all official records of the City, the custody of which is not provided for in the Charter or by ordinances of the City, including records of all proceedings of the Council (minutes) and its ordinances and resolutions; the administration of a City-wide Records Management Program to include retention schedules, inactive records storage, vital records, micrographics, archives, and other components as provided for by ordinance or resolution or the Council; and any other duties as may be established by ordinance or a resolution of the Council.

The City Charter of 1931 established the Council-Manager form of government in San Diego. On January 1, 2006, the City of San Diego's system of government changed from a City Manager form to a Strong Mayor form. The change, approved by city voters in November 2004, will exist on a five-year trial basis, after which voters will decide whether or not to make the shift permanent.

Under the new system the Mayor is the City's chief executive officer, similar to the governor or the president. The Council is the legislative body, providing checks and balances to the Mayor's new authority. The City Clerk, appointed by Council, also serves as Clerk to the Council.

How can I find out what the City Council will be discussing?

You may access the Council Docket on line for upcoming City Council meetings. This information is posted on Wednesday prior to the Monday and Tuesday meetings. Additional "supplemental" items for the Monday meeting are posted on the morning of the meeting, but are available on line by 2:00 p.m. on the preceding Friday. (You can call the Clerk's "supplemental hotline" at (619) 533-4027 anytime from Thursday afternoon through Monday morning for an updated list of supplemental items to be heard by Council.) Free copies of the docket are also available from the City Clerk's Office.

Additionally, copies of the docket are distributed to all branch libraries in the City of San Diego for public review or you may subscribe to the Council Docket through the City Clerk's Office. Yearly subscriptions are available for the regular docket and "Digest Edition." Call the City Clerk's office at (619) 533-4000 or (619) 533-4029 for subscription rates.

You may also watch our televised docket summary, which airs on CityTV from Friday evening through the weekend preceding the Council meeting.

When and where are the City Council meetings?

The City Council meets on Mondays at 2:00 p.m. and on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. The meetings are held on the 12th floor of the City Administration Building, 202 "C" Street in downtown San Diego. Meetings are also held in the community at various times. You may listen in on the Council sessions or Council standing committee meetings by calling (619) 533-4001, the City Clerk's "Dial a Council" phone line. If you are a resident of Rancho Bernardo or Rancho Penasquitos, you may call (858) 484-7711 and ask the Citizen's Assistance operator to connect you to Dial-A-Council.

Additionally, the City of San Diego offers live webcasts and archived videos of City Council meetings.

How can I speak in front of the City Council? Do I need to fill out a form?

Members of the public can speak in front of the City Council either under "Non-agenda Public Comment" or on an item that is listed on the docket. "Non-agenda Public Comment" occurs on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. and is limited to items which are under the Council’s jurisdiction but have not previously been heard and are not scheduled in the future.

Members of the public who wish to speak on a docketed item must fill out a speaker slip. Both "in favor" and "in opposition" slips are available in the Council Chambers before each meeting, or can be obtained at the City Clerk’s office (202 C Street, 2nd floor). Speaker slips should be submitted to the City Clerk prior to the start of the City Council meeting.

How can I get a copy of the Closed Session agenda?

The Closed Session agenda is available on the City Website on Monday mornings. Copies of the closed session agenda are also available in the City Clerk's Office.

Can I speak at the City Council’s Closed Session meeting?

By State law, Closed Session meetings are not open to the public. However, members of the public can testify to a Closed Session item during the Monday open-session City Council meeting. "Closed Session speaker slips" are available in the Council Chambers on Monday afternoon and should be submitted to the City Clerk prior to the start of the City Council meeting.

Where can I obtain a Resolution or Ordinance?

Copies of resolutions and ordinances approved by the City Council are available at the City Clerk's office. Call the Public Information Section at (619) 533-4000 or come to the City Clerk's office to obtain copies. Copies are 25 cents per page. City Council and City Agency Resolutions and Ordinances are also available online.

Are the Council meetings televised?

Monday afternoon Council meetings are televised "live" on Monday at 2:00 p.m. (Cox Cable 24, Time Warner Cable 24) and are re-televised at 7:00 p.m. on Monday evenings. The Tuesday Council meetings are televised "live" on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. (Cox Cable 24, Time Warner Cable 24) and re-televised at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening. For more information, view the CityTV Program Schedule (PDF: 30K).

There may be alternative televised schedules for those areas outside the City's boundaries.

Where can I obtain an audio tape, CD, VHS tape or DVD of today’s Council meeting?

Audio tapes and CDs are available to listen to in the City Clerk’s office, or they may be purchased. Cost will vary depending on the specific request. Contact the Public Information Section at (619) 533-4000 for more information.

To purchase a VHS or DVD copy of a Council meeting, contact the Cable TV Office at (619) 533-4784 or order online. Duplication costs are $20 per request. Archived video of Council meetings are also available on the City’s Web site.

Can I watch Council meetings and Council Committee meetings on the Web?

Yes. Live and archived video of Council meetings and Council Committee meetings can be viewed online from the City’s Webcasting website.

What are the standing Council Committees?

Legislative matters are often discussed by a standing Council Committee prior to placement on the City Council Docket. There are six such committees, with five Councilmembers serving on each. Each committee focuses on a different subject area as reflected by their names: Rules, Open Government, and Intergovernmental Relations (Rules); Land Use and Housing (LU&H); Public Safety and Neighborhood Services (PS&NS); Natural Resources and Culture (NRC); Budget and Finance; and Audit. For more information about the members of these committees and their meeting times see Council Committees.

Where can I get the agenda for one of the standing Council Committee Meetings?

The Council Committee agendas and actions are available on-line, or from the City Clerk's Office. Call the Public Information Section at (619) 533-4000 or come to the City Clerk's office to obtain copies. Subscriptions to the agendas are also available from the Committee Consultants' secretary. Call (619) 533-3984 for more information.

How can I find out what happened at the City Council meeting?

Call the City Clerk's Office, Public Information Section at (619) 533-4000 for the results of City Council meetings. The results of the Monday afternoon Council meetings are available on the Tuesday morning following the meeting. Council Minutes and Results are also posted to the City Website two to three weeks after the meeting. Video archives of Council Meetings are also available for viewing.

What does the Clerk charge for documents?

For a list of charges, view the Document Fee Schedule (PDF: 9K). You may view and print copies of the San Diego Municipal Code and Council Policies free of charge.