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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRules of Conduct/Comments - Public Meetings 2026 TOWN OF ITHACA Rules of Conduct at Public Meetings and Rules for Public Comments Section 1 - Purpose and Scope: The Town of Ithaca’s Town Board, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals adopts this policy to outline the rules for public conduct and public comments at their meetings. Section 2 - Photographing, Recording and/or Broadcasting Public Portions of Uses: Any public portion of any Use may be photographed, recorded, and/or broadcast. Please see the Town’s Rules for Public Access and Uses of Town Meeting Rooms for more information. Section 3 - Conduct at a Public Meeting: Attendees must not disrupt the ability of any other attendees and the Board members to observe and listen to the proceedings or interfere with the ability of the Board members to deliberate on matters before them. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Disruptive behavior may include, among other things, abusive or obscene language/gestures/images, the making of unreasonable noise, or threatening behavior. Except as specified in the next paragraph, the Presiding Officer will give one warning. If the behavior continues, the Presiding Officer may ask the individual to leave the premises (if the individual attends in person) or may have the individual disconnected from the meeting (if the individual attends virtually). If such individual is attending the meeting in person and refuses to leave, the Presiding Officer may ask the individual to be removed from the meeting room. For those using or displaying abusive or obscene language/gestures/images or engaging in threatening behavior, no warning is necessary before the Presiding Officer may ask the individual to leave the premises (if the individual attends in person) or has the individual disconnected from the meeting (if the individual attends virtually). Signs/banners of up to four (4) sq ft in size are permitted. To mitigate obstructing other attendees, they: 1. Must be kept below shoulder height when seated but are permitted higher if the holder is standing in the back of the room with no one behind them. 2.Can not be waved, shaken, or moved in such a way as to distract Board members, speakers or attendees; attendees must refrain from snapping fingers or using other distracting methods that attempt to draw attention to a sign or banner. Section 4 - Public Meetings of the Town – Persons to be Heard and Public Hearings: Not all public meetings have a “Persons to be Heard” or a “Public Hearing” agenda item. Public Hearings are a legal requirement associated with certain actions where the public has an opportunity to comment on the specific proposed action during that specific public hearing. Each action requiring a public hearing will have its own comment period. Comments must be made under the specified public hearing comment period. Persons to be Heard is a comment period for general comments not associated with actions that have a Public Hearing and are at the discretion of the Presiding Officer. 1. You may give your name and/or address, but it is not required because there may be security concerns for certain individuals about revealing such information, and nonresidents may own property in the Town, own or manage a business in the Town, or have other significant interests in the actions of the Town. All comments are welcome. There is no sign-up sheet; simply raise your hand in person or virtually and the Presiding Officer will call on you. 2. Public Hearings comments and Persons to be Heard comments may be limited to three (3 ) minutes per speaker at the discretion of the Presiding Officer. Time cannot be transferred from one person to another to increase another’s time allotment. The Presiding Officer has discretion to determine whether persons who have already spoken during a Public Hearing or a Persons to be Heard comment period may speak more than once about the same agenda item or issue. 3. All comments should be made to the Board members and not to the applicants or other attendees. This is not a back-and-forth interaction. Answers to questions may not be given at that time but are heard by the Board members and may be addressed later at their discretion. In some instances, Board members may ask a clarifying question of a speaker. 4. “Applicants” include owners and any of their agents/associated representatives and are not considered “the public.” Applicants address the Members to give an overview and/or details of the project/action and are then available for questions from the Members before and after any associated Public Hearing and public comment period. Only Members may address Applicants. 5. All virtual attendees are muted upon entry and after speaking. The Chat function is disabled. To reduce screen clutter and distractions on the ZOOM application, the Clerk may turn off the video feed of any attendee after they have addressed the Members. To speak again under another Public Hearing or comment period, simply turn your video feed back on and raise your hand physically or through use of the hand-raised icon. 6.Where possible, meetings of the Town Board, Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals are broadcast live via YouTube.com @TownofithacaVideo for your convenience. Virtual attendees are encouraged to move to that platform after speaking if they wish to watch the rest of the meeting.