1. Courtesy of the Floor. The agenda for each regular meeting of Council shall include provisions for Courtesy of the Floor, during which time the citizens and taxpayers of the Township may address the Council and discuss any matters concerning the Township, other than those appearing elsewhere on the agenda. Unless extended by motion of those Council members present, Courtesy of the Floor shall be limited to two time periods of 15 minutes each, at the beginning and end of the meeting.
2. Request for Particular Matters. Any citizen or taxpayer of the Township who desires to have a matter of business placed on the agenda of a regular meeting shall make such request by providing written notice to the Township Manager at least 7 days prior to the meeting. Inclusion of such items on the agenda shall be at the discretion of the Township Manager in consultation with the Council Chairman.
3. Opportunity to Address Council. Citizens and taxpayers of the Township who are present at the meeting shall be provided the opportunity to address Council on any agenda item. Such opportunity shall be provided prior to any vote of Council on said agenda item.
4. Non-Residents. Persons other than residents and taxpayers of the Township may be granted the privilege to address Council. Granting of such privilege shall be at the discretion of the Chairman. However, any such ruling by the Chairman may be overruled by a majority of the Council members present.
5. Procedure for Addressing Council. Any person wishing to speak shall address the Chair, and upon recognition by the Chairman, shall rise and state his/her full name and address and shall confine discussion to the agenda item at hand, avoiding indecorous language or reference to personalities. Once recognized, no person shall be interrupted while speaking unless it is for the purpose of calling such person to order. When called to order, that person shall cease speaking until the question of order is determined.
6. Time Limitations. No person shall speak more than 10 minutes on the same agenda item, nor more than 5 minutes at a time, without the consent of a majority of the Council members present. No person shall make a second speech on the same agenda item as long as another person who has not spoken desires the floor. The Chairman, subject to being overruled by a majority of the Council members present, may limit public participation to a maximum of 15 minutes on any agenda item.
7. Limiting the Number of Speakers. When a group of persons wishes to address the Council on the same subject, the Chairman may require that a spokesman be chosen by the group to address Council and limit the number of persons addressing Council on the same matter so as to avoid unnecessary repetition.
8. Removal from Meeting. Any person making offensive, insulting, threatening, insolent, slanderous or obscene remarks or who becomes boisterous or who makes threats against any person or against public order and security while in the Council meeting shall be forthwith barred by the Chairman from further audience at that meeting unless permission to continue is granted by majority vote of the Council members present.
(Ord. 70, § 3.11, 2-14-79)