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Diversion board adopts public-comment policy to follow state law; sets 15-minute period, three-minute limit
Summary
Following state legislation, the Metro Flood Diversion Authority approved a public-comment policy that places public comments at the end of the agenda, sets a 15-minute total period and a three-minute speaker limit, and makes the policy effective at the next meeting.
The Metro Flood Diversion Authority board voted Aug. 28 to adopt a formal public-comment policy modeled on county and municipal examples after staff recommended aligning the authority with state law.
"That provision of the code didn't necessarily specifically reference the diversion authority," Mr. Shockley, staff member, told the board, referring to Senate Bill 21 20. He recommended that the authority follow the legislation and adopt a public-comment period on its agenda. The policy before the board was modeled on Cass County, the North Dakota League of Cities, and the Cass County joint water resource district policies.
Under the adopted policy, the public-comment period will be the last item on the agenda (and, if there is an executive session, the public comment will be held before the executive session), the board will allocate 15 minutes total and allow three minutes per speaker, and speakers must submit a speaker card online or at the meeting. The policy was approved to become effective at the authority’s next meeting; the board’s agenda for the Aug. 28 meeting remained open for public comment at that time.
A motion to approve the policy was moved and seconded; the roll call recorded affirmative votes from Mayor Dardis, Mayor Mahoney, Commissioner Breitling, Mister Hendrickson, Mister Ebinger, Miss Kolpak, Mister Campbell, Mister Greenberg and Mister Steen. The motion carried.
Staff told the board they would implement the procedural details, including online and on-site speaker-card submissions, consistent with the adopted policy.
