Public comment

Policy

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Public Comment policy is to establish a process by which Durham County residents can express their concerns directly to the Board of Trustees on matters related to the library.

STATEMENT OF PROCEDURES

1. Citizens wishing to address the Board must sign up at least fifteen minutes before a scheduled Board meeting by completing the appropriate form, requiring their contact information and a brief statement of their concerns. Forms will be found at the circulation desk on the day of the meeting at the meeting location.
2. At the board meeting, individuals will be allotted three minutes to state their concern and they are expected to do so in a concise, orderly and courteous manner that is respectful of all others. They should not deviate from the subject indicated in advance on their form. Due to time constraints, the Board Chairman may limit the overall time for public comment on a specific topic.
3. Specific reference to library employees or to matters appropriate for closed session will not be permitted. The appropriate manner for raising concerns about a specific employee is to submit comments in writing to Director of the Library or to the County Manager.
4. Comments should be directed to the Board and not to other participants or to the audience
5. Clarifying questions may be addressed to the speaker only by Board members and only at the conclusion of his or her remarks. The time taken by these questions and their answers will not affect the initial time allotted to the speaker.
6. Violation of these procedures or other inappropriate, discourteous, or disruptive behavior will lead to the Chairman’s asking the individuals involved to leave the meeting.

APPLICABILITY

These procedures will apply to all regularly scheduled Board meetings.

RESPONSIBILITY

The Chairman of the Durham County Library or, in his or her absence, a meeting’s presiding officer will interpret and administer the procedures described in this policy.

Signup

To address the Durham County Library Board of Trustees concerning a specific item on the meeting agenda, please sign up prior to the start of the meeting. As the board reaches each agenda item, the Board Chair will recognize all those who have indicated their interest in speaking. Your comments will be limited to three (3) minutes. Please submit this form before 3:00 pm on the day of the meeting. The completed forms are used to ensure the accuracy of the meeting minutes.