The Granville County Board of Commissioners is committed to allowing members of the public an opportunity to offer comments and suggestions for the efficient and effective administration of government. In addition to public hearings, a special time is set aside for the purpose of receiving such comments and suggestions. All comments addressed to the Board during the Public Comment period shall be subject to the following procedures:
1. The Public Comment period will be held at the beginning of the Board meeting. The comment period will be limited to a maximum of thirty (30) minutes.
2. Persons who wish to address the Board during the Public Comment period will register on a sign-up sheet located on the podium at the front of the County Commissioners’ meeting room. Speakers will provide contact information and the topic of their comments on the sign-up sheet. Sign-up sheets will be available thirty minutes before the start of the meeting. No one will be allowed to have his/her name placed on the list by telephone request.
3. Each person will have three minutes to make remarks and will only be entitled to the time allotted and one additional time period which may be yielded to him/her by another individual who has also signed up to speak on a particular topic.
4. Speakers will be acknowledged by the Board Chairperson in the order in which names appear on the sign-up sheet. Speakers will address the Board from the podium at the front of the room and begin their remarks by stating their name and address.
5. Public comment is not intended to require the Board to answer any impromptu questions. Speakers will address all comments to the Board as a whole and not one individual commissioner. Discussions between speakers and members of the audience will not be allowed.
6. Speakers will be courteous in their language and presentation. Speaker must be respectful and courteous in their remarks and must refrain from personal attacks and the use of profanity.
7. Only one speaker will be acknowledged at a time. If the time period runs out before all persons who have signed up get to speak, those names will be carried over to the next Public Comment period.
8. Any applause will be held until the end of the Public Comment period.
9. Speakers who have prepared written remarks or supporting documents are encouraged to leave a copy of such remarks and documents with the Clerk to the Board.
10. Speakers shall not discuss matters which concern the candidacy of any person seeking public office, including the candidacy of the person addressing the Board, matters which are closed session matters including but not limited to matters within the attorney-client privilege, anticipated or pending litigation, personnel, property acquisition, or matters which are made confidential by law, nor matters which are the subject of public hearings.
11. Information sheets outlining the process for the public’s participation in Board meetings will also be available in the rear of the Commissioners’ Meeting Room.
12. Action on items brought up during the Public Comment period will be at the discretion of the Board.