Public Comment Policy

Policy Purpose

To establish a policy for citizens to appear before the Town Council at each regular meeting.

Coverage

This policy, upon adoption by the Town Council, shall remain in effect until such time that it is altered, modified, or rescinded by the Council.

Policy

  1. Anyone desiring to address the Council must sign up with the Town Clerk prior to 6:30 p.m. on the meeting night by giving their name, address, and a short description of the topic on the sign-up sheet located in the Council Chambers. (See Meeting Agenda for differing time requirements for virtual meetings under SOA.)
  2. Each Speaker must be present. E-mailed comments will not be read into record; a copy will be provided to each Council Member.
  3. Each Speaker must be recognized by the Mayor.
  4. Comments are limited to three (3) minutes per speaker. A speaker cannot give their allotted minutes to another speaker to increase that person's allotted time.
  5. If there are multiple participants who wish to speak on the same subject, the Council may require they choose someone to speak for them.
  6. Comments are intended to be directed to the Town Council as a whole; however, comments and questions may be directed to individual Council Members. The forum is intended to provide the Town Council an opportunity to hear citizens and is not a forum for a back-and-forth discussion. If a Council Member desires to respond to comments or questions, he or she may do so during Council feedback to public comments.
  7. Citizens will be expected to be civil in their language and presentation and not to engage in slander, name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, and/or threatening or aggressive behavior that the Mayor or Council reasonably believes will result in an imminent disruption of the meeting.
  8. Citizens may address the Town Council regarding matters where there is not otherwise an opportunity to provide public comment.
  9. The Town Council will not take action on an item that is presented during Public Comment.
  10. The public can address the Council on any issue other than the following:
    1. Public Hearing items
    2. Matters which concern the candidacy of any person seeking public office, including the candidacy of the person addressing the Council.
  11. The Town Council will not provide a Public Comment period if a regular meeting is not held during the month.
  12. Any applause will be held to the end of the Public Comment Period.
  13. The following information will be posted near the sign-up sheet for those wishing to participate in Public Comments:

"Thank you for your interest in participating in the Public Comments portion of Today's Regular meeting of the Indian Trail Town Council. Please be aware that these meetings are recorded and can be heard by anyone through the Internet. Comments are limited to 3 minutes per speaker; you may not give your 3 minutes to another speaker to increase that person's allotted time. Citizens will be expected to be civil in their language and presentation and act within reasonable standards of courtesy. We ask the audience, as well as the speakers, to maintain order and decorum in your conduct throughout the Public Comment period. That being said, you may not engage in slander, name-calling, personal attacks, or threatening or otherwise aggressive speech or behavior that I or the Council reasonably believe will imminently result in a disruption of the meeting. Finally, we ask you a simple favor. If you have a grievance, concern, or complaint relating to a specific town employee, we respectfully request that prior to airing that grievance here during Public comments, you first contact the Town Manager, the Town Attorney, or one of us on the Council with your concern. We respect your right to be heard, and we ask you to respect our Town employees' right to a fair hearing on your grievance."

Procedure for Enforcement of Policy

  1. Any Council member may object to public comments on the grounds that they violate the Public Comment Policy
  2. Upon objection, the Mayor will determine whether the speaker has violated the Public Comment Policy and:
    1. Warn the Speaker/Audience member that they are in violation of Policy;
    2. If the violation continues, the Mayor and/or Town can take any other action permitted by law to maintain the decorum of the meeting and the safety and welfare of those in attendance.

Adopted on February 11, 2025

If you would like a copy of the Public Comment Policy, please contact Town Clerk Trena Sims at tss@indiantrail.org.