Public Comment during Meetings
To assure that there is equitable opportunity for the public to participate in public meetings and provide comments on actionable items prior to action on an agenda item upon which a vote is to be taken, it is the policy of the French Quarter Management District to provide a public comment period at all Board and Committee meetings.
- Live and written public comment will be allowed.
- During the public comment portion of the meeting, the Board/Committee Chair will recognize any requests for live public comment and read into the record all written comments pertaining to an agenda item that have been submitted in accordance with these rules.
- Each submission must contain: (i) the commenter’s first and last name, (ii) the commenter’s address, (iii) whether the commenter is being paid in connection with his or her comments, and (iv) the agenda item to which the comment pertains. Any public comment submission or live comment request missing this information will not be read aloud or recognized for live comment.
- No member of the public may submit more than one written comment or live comment request per agenda item.
- Live comment requests should be registered on comment cards or sign-in list and submitted to the Board/Committee Chair
- Live comment speakers will be given two minutes to comment.
- Written public comments should be submitted electronically via email to publiccomments@fqmd.org.
- Written comments will be read aloud in a normal speaking voice. The moderator will discontinue reading a comment once it exceeds two minutes.
- All comments shall be made respectfully, without any vulgarity or personal attacks on any individual.
- The public comment period shall not be a question and answer session wherein the members of the public ask questions and/or demand answers of the Board or public employees.
- The presiding officer shall take actions necessary to uphold this Public Comment policy and maintain order and decorum in the meeting.
Because of the unprecedented logistical and public health challenges presented by COVID-19, public comment will proceed as follows on all matters for which a vote is to be taken:
- Live and written public comment will be allowed.
- During the public comment portion of the meeting, a moderator will recognize any requests for live public comment and read into the record all written comments pertaining to an agenda item that have been submitted in accordance with these rules.
- No member of the public may submit more than one written comment or live comment request per agenda item.
- At the beginning of the meeting, the moderator will read aloud the entire agenda which has been posted at https://www.fqmd.org/documents/ at least one business day prior to the meeting.
- Written public comments and live comment requests should be submitted electronically via email to publiccomments@fqmd.org.
- Emailed public comments will be accepted from the time the agenda is released until conclusion of its reading. Emailed public comment received after the reading of the agenda will not be considered.
- Each submission must contain: (i) the commenter’s first and last name, (ii) the commenter’s address, (iii) whether the commenter is being paid in connection with his or her comments, and (iv) the agenda item to which the comment pertains. Any public comment submission or live comment request missing this information will not be read aloud or recognized for live comment.
- Written comments will be read aloud in a normal speaking voice. The moderator will discontinue reading a comment once it exceeds two minutes.
- Live comment during a teleconference meeting via the following formats shall be accepted:
- Electronically raise their hand to request to comment. Upon being recognized to speak by the chair their microphone should be turned on. After speaking the microphone shall be returned to mute.
- Post comments relevant to the action item in the ‘Chat Box’
- Live comment speakers will be given two minutes to comment. The speaker may be muted by the moderator at the conclusion of the two-minute limit.
NOTE: Public comment may be allowed for items not requiring a vote at the discretion of the presiding officer. Such comment may be subject to additional restrictions, limitations, and/or modifications to be announced by the presiding officer at the outset of the meeting.
Approved by the Board of Commissioners, 09 November 2020