There are multiple options for those that wish to address the Council during a City Council meeting. Regularly scheduled Council meetings are held the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. The exact start time for each meeting will be posted on the agenda. 

Agendas may be located in the Agenda Center under “City Council,” and are posted no later than 72 hours prior to each meeting as required by law. The public is invited and encouraged to come and speak to Council under any of the following outlets: 

1. Open Forum
2. Public Hearings
3. Persons to be Heard

Open Forum

The public is invited to speak on any topic listed on the agenda. In order to speak during Open Forum, a person must first sign in with the City Secretary prior to the Regular Session being called to order. Speakers will be called upon in the order in which they sign in. Any person not signing in prior to the commencement of the Regular Session shall not be allowed to speak under Open Forum. Further, Open Forum is limited to 30 minutes. Should speakers not use the entire 30 minutes, Council will proceed with the agenda. At the majority vote of the Council, the Mayor may extend the time allotted for Open Forum.

Public Hearings

Persons desiring to speak about zoning related issues or items as they pertain to a public hearing must do so at the time in which the Mayor determines the public hearing(s) to be opened.

Persons to be Heard

Any person may address the Council regarding any topic during a scheduled City Council meeting under Persons to be Heard. Individuals wishing to do this shall first notify the City Secretary in writing no later than noon on the Wednesday before the regularly scheduled meeting and state what issue(s) they wish to address. Their name will be placed on the agenda under Persons to be Heard and they will be recognized by the Presiding Officer. If the above requirements are not met, the person’s request to speak to the Council will be tabled until the requirements are met.

If a person desiring to speak has presentation materials, either 10 hard copies need to be made available for Council and staff at the time they speak or an electronic copy needs to be sent to the City Secretary’s Office by 5 p.m. the Monday prior to the meeting. All persons are provided the opportunity to speak to the Bedford City Council at any time about any topic provided the appropriate above forum is utilized for that topic. 

If the public has any questions regarding one of these forums, please do not hesitate to contact the City Secretary’s Office at 817.952.2100 or by email at citysecretary@bedfordtx.gov.