Make it easy for residents to participate in local government. This public comment form collects structured written testimony — position, topic, and full comment — and becomes part of the official public record. Works for city council meetings, planning commission hearings, school board sessions, and any public agency seeking community input.
Free for non-commercial projects, with unlimited forms and responses.
Last updated
A public comment form gives residents a structured, accessible way to participate in local government without attending a meeting in person. Written public comments carry the same weight as spoken testimony and are required to be read into the official record at many public hearings — yet most agencies still collect them via email, which creates sorting and attribution headaches for staff.
This template replaces the ad hoc email inbox with a purpose-built form that captures everything you need: the commenter's identity and contact information, the specific agenda item or topic they're addressing, their stated position, and their full written comment. The speaker sign-up field lets you build your speaker list without managing a separate signup sheet.
formformform stores every submission with a timestamp, making it easy to demonstrate that the comment period was properly conducted. Because submissions are organized in a dashboard, staff can quickly count for/against positions and prepare comment summaries for the meeting packet. The form embeds on any agency website or CMS and requires no technical expertise to set up.
Use your own copy to change labels, remove questions and add the details you need. Try the preview alongside this guide to see what respondents will be asked.
Review the starting questions and choices. You can change them in your own copy.
Jane Smith
jane@example.com
(555) 123-4567
123 Main St, City, State 00000
Please share your comments, concerns, or feedback here.
Suggested uses, and why this starting point can help. Adapt the questions to your own process.
Use this as a starting point when you need the same essential information from each person. Review the questions against your process before sharing your copy. Review “Topic or Agenda Item” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
Gathers community input on proposed zoning changes, subdivision approvals, and conditional use permits prior to the hearing date.
Give participants a clear set of questions and keep the information together, making it easier to prepare, respond and follow up. Review “Your Comments” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
Collects resident priorities and concerns during the annual county budget development process for consideration by county supervisors.
Get a useful brief before the first conversation. Written context helps you assess fit, prepare questions and decide what to discuss next. Review “May staff contact you about this matter?” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
Collects ratepayer comments on proposed electricity or gas rate changes filed with the state public utilities commission.
Use this as a starting point when you need the same essential information from each person. Review the questions against your process before sharing your copy. Review “Position” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
Accepts written comments during the CEQA or NEPA public review period from residents, environmental groups, and neighboring agencies.
Click 'Use this template' to start with this public comment form pre-built in your formformform account.
Update the topic/agenda item dropdown to match your specific meeting agenda or policy areas.
Add any local ordinance language or submission deadlines to the introductory paragraph.
Set your notification email so your city clerk or admin receives each comment immediately.
Share the link via your agency website, public notices, and social media channels.
Export all submissions as a CSV or PDF before the meeting for the official record.
include the comment period close date in the form description so residents know when submissions must be received.
anonymous comments are difficult to include in the official record and reduce accountability on both sides.
pre-populate it with the actual agenda items from your meeting notice so comments are pre-sorted by topic.
let commenters know their submission was received and when it will be read into the record.
export the full comment list before each meeting and attach it to the meeting minutes for the permanent record.
embed the form on a publicly accessible page and include it in multilingual outreach if your community has non-English speakers.
Collects written testimony from residents on ordinances, budget amendments, and council agenda items before the scheduled meeting.
Gathers community input on proposed zoning changes, subdivision approvals, and conditional use permits prior to the hearing date.
Accepts written comments during the CEQA or NEPA public review period from residents, environmental groups, and neighboring agencies.
Lets parents, teachers, and community members submit written positions on proposed curriculum, budget, or policy changes before the board vote.
Collects resident priorities and concerns during the annual county budget development process for consideration by county supervisors.
Gathers public feedback on proposed bus route modifications, fare changes, or new station locations from affected riders and residents.
Accepts written protests and support statements during the Proposition 218 notice period for proposed water rate increases.
Receives public input on landmark designation requests, demolition permits, and certificates of appropriateness for historic properties.
Collects ratepayer comments on proposed electricity or gas rate changes filed with the state public utilities commission.
Gathers community input on proposed district boundary changes during the decennial redistricting process for city or county elections.
Collects resident preferences and priorities for park improvements, new facilities, and programming during a parks master plan update.
Accepts community input on land use, housing, and circulation elements during a city or county general plan update process.
Provides a structured channel for community members to submit written comments on proposed policing policies or specific officer conduct issues.
Collects formal comments from the public and stakeholders during the notice-and-comment period for proposed administrative rules.
In most jurisdictions, yes — written comments submitted before the comment period closes are required to be entered into the official record regardless of submission method. Check your agency's governing rules or legal counsel to confirm requirements for your specific meeting type.
You can add an address field (already included in this template) and note that comments are subject to verification. However, most public comment processes accept comments from anyone, not just residents of a specific jurisdiction.
formformform stores all submissions in your dashboard with timestamps. You can export them to CSV, sort by position or topic, and prepare a summary count for the meeting packet. Staff can review each comment individually or prepare a representative sample for the record.
You can create a separate form for each meeting or use the topic dropdown to collect comments for multiple agenda items in one form. For high-volume agencies, separate forms per meeting make it easier to manage and archive.
formformform does not impose a character limit on long-text fields by default. If your agency has a word or page limit for public comments, add that requirement to the field description or the introductory paragraph.
Streamline building, electrical, zoning, and event permit applications online.
Let residents report potholes, outages, graffiti, and other service issues online.
Invite residents to suggest improvements to parks, roads, lighting, and public spaces.
Let homeowners submit architectural changes, complaints, and requests to their HOA board.
Handle registrations for conferences, workshops, and any live event.
Recruit qualified volunteers for boards, commissions, and advisory committees.
Accept and track public records requests under FOIA, CPRA, and similar laws.
Accept online applications for festivals, parades, races, markets, and public events.
Explore how formformform fits the forms you need to build.
Opens with product context and a link to this page.
Free for non-commercial projects, with unlimited forms and responses.
Use this template