NDTOA Public Comment Policy

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NORTH DAKOTA TOWNSHIP OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

Public Comment Policy

Policy Approval Date: June 25, 2025

The North Dakota Township Officer1s Association welcomes and values public input during its meetings. This policy outlines the procedures for public comment to ensure that all individuals have a fair opportunity to be heard while maintaining an orderly and efficient meeting

environment.

1. A public comment agenda item will be the first non-procedural agenda item at all regular meetings of the North Dakota Township Officer's Association
2. To provide public comments, each individual must submit a speaker card prior to the meeting being called to order that includes:
   1. the individual's name,
   2. the individual's address,
   3. the agenda item from the current meeting agenda or the previous meeting agenda that the individual is addressing.

3. Missing information from the speaker card disqualifies the individual from speaking at the meeting.
4. Each individual will be allotted three minutes to make comments. The individual will be notified when the three minutes have expired.
5. The public comment agenda item will be limited to a total of thirty minutes, regardless of how many individuals have submitted speaker cards.
6. Individuals will be called on to present public comments in the order that speaker cards were submitted.

7. All comments must:
   1. Address the agenda item identified on the speaker card.
   2. Be pertinent to NDTOA
   3. Be directed to the board as a whole.
8. Comments may not:
   1. Be defamatory, abusive, harassing, or unlawful.
   2. Include information that is exempt or confidential under North Dakota open records law.
   3. Interfere with the orderly conduct of the meeting.
9. Individuals may not yield their allotted time to another individual.
10. Individuals unable or unwilling to speak in person may submit written comments to the President prior to the meeting. If received twenty-four hours before the meeting, the comments will be distributed to the board members before the meeting. Comments submitted less than twenty-four hours before the meeting will be distributed after the meeting. Any written comments submitted must identify the agenda item from the current meeting agenda or the previous meeting agenda that is being addressed and include the individual's name and address.