[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Directors
of the Valley Forge Sewer Authority 4-10-1995. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Public comment at regular meetings shall be
governed by the following rules and regulations:
A.
A period of public comment for residents and/or taxpayers
of East Pikeland, Charlestown and/or Schuylkill Townships to comment
on matters of concern, official action or deliberation which are or
may be before the Board shall be held at each regular monthly meeting.
B.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall preside
over the public comment period and may within his discretion:
(1)
Recognize individuals wishing to speak.
(2)
Require identification of each person.
(3)
Allocate available time among individuals wishing
to comment.
(4)
Rule out of order scandalous, impertinent and redundant
comment or any comment the discernible purpose of which is to disrupt
or prevent the conduct of the business of the meeting.
(5)
End the public comment period at any time.
C.
The time allocated for the public comment period at
each meeting shall be 10 minutes, a maximum of five minutes per person.
D.
In the event that there is insufficient time for public
comment at a meeting, the Chair may defer the public comment period
to a subsequent meeting.
The following rules are applicable to recording
by persons other than members of the Board of Directors and its employees.
Audio and audio/video recording equipment may be used by persons entitled
to make public comment subject to full and complete compliance with
the following:
A.
Written notice of an intent to employ such equipment
and a description of the equipment to be used must be received by
the Authority not less than one week prior to the meeting at which
the equipment is to be used.
B.
Only portable, self-contained equipment (i.e., not
requiring interconnection with the building's power supply) may be
used.
C.
No lights may be employed, and no participant at the
meeting may be required to accommodate the equipment as, for example,
being required to operate or direct comments to a particular microphone
employed by the operator.
D.
The equipment must be operated at all times so as
to cause no interference with the proceedings or with the audience
and its observance of or participation in the proceedings.
E.
The operator must make a general announcement at the
point when recording starts and at any point when recording ceases
for any reason and is recommenced for any reason.
F.
On request, the operator shall, at the election of
the Board of Directors, furnish a copy of the recorded audio/video
tape at a cost no greater than the retail price of such tape when
blank or furnish the original of such tape for copying by the Board
of Directors and return to the operator. When requested to supply
a recorded tape or a copy thereof, the operator shall accompany the
same with an affidavit that it constitutes the full record of the
proceeding.
G.
Any violation of these rules shall be grounds for
expulsion from the meeting, confiscation of any recorded tape made
in the context of such violation and denial, for a period of one year,
of any further request under this policy.
[Added 6-9-2003 by Res. No. 2-2003]
The Board hereby adopts as its rules governing
the conduct of meetings of the Board the pamphlet entitled "Parliamentary
Procedure," published by Channing L. Bete Co., Inc., booklet number
18259R-11-00, 2001 Edition, and said pamphlet, a copy of which is
on file in the Authority offices, is incorporated by reference as
if set forth fully herein.
