Stephens Co. Commission Implementing New Public Comment Policy at Meetings

The Stephens County Commission’s new meeting appearance policy takes effect this month.

County commissioners approved the policy at a meeting in April.

Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers said that the policy asks people who wish to speak to fill out a form first.

“We have a Meeting Appearance Form that will need to be filled out and turned into the county clerk no later than the Friday prior to the next regularly scheduled commission meeting,” said Ayers.

Previously, county commissioners have just asked at the end of the meetings if there are any members of the public who wish to speak.

Ayers says that those who do not fill out a form before the meeting will still have the opportunity to speak at the meeting.

“An announcement will be made prior to the beginning of the work session that if you have not filled it (the form) out beforehand and you do wish to speak, your request will be heard and taken into consideration, but no answer will be provided during the meeting of the request,” said Ayers. “There will be forms on a table as you walk into the meeting room that you could fill out during the meeting.”

Ayers goes on to say that the policy is designed to allow the county staff and the county commission some time to research issues prior to someone asking about them at a meeting.

“It is not designed so that they cannot speak,” said Ayers. “It is to give us more of an idea of what subject matter will be coming before them and it would not be an item that is on the agenda. At the end of the agenda, we have a section for citizen comment. Usually anyone that wants to speak during that time just walks to the podium, but now they will have filled out one of these forms in advance and the commissioners will be prepared for it.”

The meeting appearance forms are available from the county offices in the historic Stephens County Courthouse in downtown Toccoa or by printing one of the county’s website, www.stephenscountyga.com.

The next Stephens County Commission meeting is set for Tuesday, July 12.