Welcome! Your Kitsap County Board
of Commissioners thanks you for attending this meeting and we look forward
to hearing from you. We hope that you find these guidelines useful and
helpful.
At every
regular board meeting, we offer two opportunities for public comment on
general matters; one near the beginning and other at the end of the meeting.
As you prepare to share your comments, please follow these guidelines to
help make your presentation and the meeting as productive and constructive
as possible.
To ensure
common courtesy, decorum, respect for others and the timely conduct of
business, we respectfully ask that you follow these basic guidelines:
·Please sign up to speak on the
public comment sheet prior to the meeting
·Please keep your comments
concise as possible – under three minutes – and try not to repeat comments
that have been previously stated
·For the record, please state
your name and if you’re representing a group or organization
·To respect everyone and all
points of view, please avoid personal attacks and refrain from either
applause or jeers
·Check the agenda to make sure
your item or issue of interest is listed (if not, check with the board clerk
to see if it’s been rescheduled to another meeting, or if you should speak
during general comments)
·You may only speak once on a
specific agenda item. It is helpful to state your support or opposition for
a particular proposed course of action at the beginning and explain why
·You are welcome to leave any
written testimony, comments or other documents for the board’s consideration
Procedures and policies
·All agendas are subject to
change prior to – and even during – a meeting
·The chair of the board will
determine the order of speakers
·At the discretion of the chair
of the board, additional time for public testimony may be permitted
·Every effort will be made to
post meeting agendas on the county’s website –www.kitsapgov.com
– at least three days in advance of a regular meeting
·For agendas posted on the
county website, the county will strive to include links to the draft
resolutions, motions, ordinances and other related documents to be
considered by the board
·All written comments, sign up
sheets, meeting minutes and all other material presented at a board meeting
are considered public documents in compliance with open meeting and public
record laws. All public documents will be available to the general public.
Meetings are also recorded for the public record by Bremerton-Kitsap Access
Television (BKAT) and are regularly aired on local cable access channels.
·Written comments and documents
may be submitted prior to, during or after the board meeting. Please
identify the agenda item or topic for which you are providing comments and
include your name, address and phone number.
·Kitsap County supports full
accessibility for all – If special accommodations are needed to testify
before the board, please call the board’s office at (360) 337-7146 no later
than the morning of the meeting
Tips for an effective presentation
According
to The Book of Lists, for most people their number one fear is not
death, sickness, heights, snakes or being interviewed by 60 Minutes –
but public speaking.
Whether this
is your first time speaking before a crowd or you’re an old pro, it’s always
a good idea to simply practice reading out loud what you want to say. You
may find that written statements sound different when read out loud, and
some longer sentences may sound better shorter – and you’ll have a good idea
if your oral comments fall under three minutes.
It’s very
helpful for the board if you would express your concerns then suggest ideas,
solutions and exactly what you would like to see done to address your
concerns.
Become
familiar with the agenda item or issue. Reports and agenda summaries can be
inspected in the board’s office prior to the meeting, on-line and during the
meeting copies will be in the lobby of the Administration Building. Staff
may also be around to answer questions, and the agenda summary usually
provides a staff contact.
Nothing in these Public
Comment Guidelines, or their application to any person or circumstance, is
intended to affect a positive duty for public comment or testimony contained
in any law, regulation, ordinance or rule.
