The Merrimack County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt a written public-comment policy at its meeting, establishing a four-minute limit for speakers and directing staff to post the policy on the county website. The board discussed whether invited dignitaries should be treated as public commenters or as exempt guests; the chair and staff said invited guests would be placed on the agenda and therefore treated differently from routine public commenters.

Why it matters: The policy creates a clear, posted standard for members of the public who wish to address the board and clarifies how the board will handle invited speakers who are not part of the public-comment period.

Board members praised the draft as thorough and flexible. One board member said the document “covers everything” and recommended posting it online so citizens would see the rules in advance. A board member asked whether a governor, county commissioner from another body, or attorney general arriving to speak would be subject to the four-minute limit; staff and the chair said invited guests would be scheduled on the agenda and would not be limited by the public-comment section. The board also discussed a formal waiver process: the chair may, at the chair’s discretion, waive the time limit in order to allow additional time for a guest speaker if the guest is on the agenda.

The board moved to approve the policy. The motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote.

What the policy does and does not do: The policy sets guardrails for public input and requires that the policy be posted on the county website. It does not change agenda procedures for scheduled presenters; staff said scheduled presenters will be given a place on the posted agenda and therefore will not be constrained by the four-minute public-comment limit.

The board did not attach additional requirements beyond what is in the adopted text, and no legal code or statute was cited during the discussion.