(A) Public comment period. The agenda for each regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Town of Murphy shall include a period for public comment.
(B) Application for public comment. Any person desiring to comment during the public comment period during a regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Town of Murphy shall provide the Town Clerk of the Town of Murphy with a written application to make a public comment by 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting of the Board of Commissioners. The application shall contain the following information:
(1) The name of the person wishing to make a public comment;
(2) A description of the topic or issue on which the person desires to make public comment; and
(3) Whether the person supports or opposes the topic or issue on which the person desires to comment.
(C) Maximum time allotted to each speaker. Each speaker during the public comment period shall be allotted a maximum time of five minutes.
(D) Selection of spokesperson for groups with the same position. When more than three persons supporting or opposing the same position have applied to a make public comment, the group shall select not more than three spokespersons from the group who have applied to make public comment to represent and speak for the group.
(E) Selection of delegates for groups with the same position. When the number of persons wishing to attend the public comment period exceeds the capacity of the hall, each group of persons supporting or opposing the same position shall be required to select delegates from the group to attend the public comment period. The Mayor shall determine the number of delegates from each group who are permitted to attend the public comment period. Each opposing group on a topic or issue shall be permitted to have an equal number of delegates to attend the public comment period.
(F) Rules of comment.
(1) Every person desiring to speak shall address the Chair and upon recognition by the Mayor shall confine himself or herself to the topic or issue under debate, avoiding all personalities and indecorous language.
(2) A person, once recognized, shall not be interrupted when speaking, unless it be to call him or her to order or as herein otherwise provided. If a person, while speaking, be called to order, he or she shall cease speaking until the question of order be determined and, if in order, he or she shall be permitted to proceed.
(G) Disruption of public comment period. Any person disrupting the proceedings of the public comment period by continually speaking out of turn without having been recognized by the Mayor and having been once warned by the Mayor to refrain from the outbursts may be removed from the meeting.
(Ord. passed 3-6-2006)