Except
for public hearings duly designated as such by action of the Town
Board, public participation at meetings of the Town Board shall be
limited to the public participation segment of the agenda of Town
Board meetings, once a month, and not at Town Board workshops.
Public
comment, whether during the public participation segment of the Town
Board meeting or during a duly designated public hearing, shall be
limited to three minutes per person. An individual’s time may
not be given or traded to other speakers or reserved for other portions
of the meeting.
Any person
wishing to speak at a public meeting during the public participation
segment or during a public hearing must sign the sign-in sheet upon
entering the room, when such sign-in sheet is available, indicating
his or her intention to speak, which sheet will be used by the Supervisor
or the presiding officer to recognize speakers.
Any individual
wishing to speak during the public participation segment or during
a public hearing when a sign-in sheet is not available shall raise
his or her hand. When recognized by the Supervisor or the presiding
officer, the individual must stand and state his or her name and,
if appropriate, group affiliation and must state the subject he or
she will be addressing.
Members
of the Town Board, speakers and audience members must observe proper
decorum. Any statements made during the meeting or during a public
hearing by the Supervisor, members of the Town Board, Town officials
or employees, or members of the general public shall not involve personal,
impertinent, or slanderous attacks on individuals, regardless of whether
the individual so attacked is an elected official, a Town official
or employee, or a member of the general public.
The Supervisor
or the presiding officer shall control the meeting. The use of profane,
vulgar, inflammatory, threatening, abusive, or disparaging language
or racial or ethnic slurs directed at the Supervisor, members of the
Town board, members of the general public, or statements by a person
attending the meeting which are not made during the public participation
segment of the agenda or during a public hearing shall not be tolerated.
It is inappropriate
to utilize a public meeting for the purpose of making political speeches,
including threats of political action, and the same will not be allowed.
Comments
by speakers must be addressed to the Town Board. Attendees may not
address the Town Board unless recognized by the Supervisor or the
presiding officer.
Discussion
between speakers and attendees of the public meeting or hearing are
prohibited. A speaker may disagree with or support prior speakers
in comments directed to the Town Board.
If the
Supervisor or the presiding officer fails to enforce the rules set
forth above, any member of the Town Board may move to require him
or her to do so, and an affirmative vote of a majority of the Town
Board shall require him or her to do so. Any decision relating to
enforcement of the rules set forth above may be appealed and overturned
by a vote of a majority of Town Board members.
Any person
who disregards the directives of the Supervisor or the presiding officer
in enforcing the rules or who generally conducts himself or herself
in a boisterous or inappropriate manner while addressing the Town
Board, disturbs the peace at a meeting and will be barred from further
participation and forfeit any balance of time remaining for his or
her comments.
If a speaker
who has violated these rules refuses to step down, the Supervisor
or the presiding officer may ask for the individual to be removed
from the meeting room and charged with disorderly conduct as per the
Penal Law.