It’s the end of December — a time for holiday celebrations, not public hearings.

But the democratic process begins anew in early January, with many issues to be debated at local government meetings.

The Sacramento Press has created the following schedule for residents who want to exercise their right to weigh in on public issues.

Sacramento City Council: The council is not meeting Dec. 29. Its first meeting in the new year will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5 at City Hall, 915 I St.

Sacramento County Board of Supervisors: The board’s first meeting of 2010 will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 12. A second 2 p.m. meeting will be held Jan. 12.

Sacramento City Planning Commission: The Planning Commission will meet at 5:30 p.m on Thursday, Jan. 14 at City Hall, 915 I St.

For Art’s Sake (Mayor Kevin Johnson’s arts group): The group asks participants to RSVP for the meeting at the following e-mail address: sharongerber@sixdegreez.net The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Jan. 27 at the California State Railroad Museum, 125 I St. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m.

Photo by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.