Public Comment Policy

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that interested parties representing various points of view are allowed time to present their views while permitting the Board to conduct their meeting in an efficient and effective manner.

Public comments are permitted during the time designated on the meeting agenda.

The Board President will determine the order in which speakers will be recognized. 

When recognized by the Board President, a person may speak a maximum of three minutes. Speakers may not speak a second time. The Board President may grant a request to address the Board during other portions of the meeting.

Speakers must share their name and, if applicable, the name of the group they are representing.

Comments shall be brief and to the point and be about library business only. Personal attacks on Library Board members or staff members will not be tolerated, nor will language that is considered offensive, harassing, or profane.

The Board shall not be compelled to act on any presented items.

Meeting minutes are a formal record of the Board's discussion and actions. As such, speaker requests to introduce written statements or correspondence into the existing record cannot be honored; written materials presented to the Board during the meeting will be included in the Library's files rather than the minutes. A list of those who speak during public comments portion of the meeting agenda will be included in the minues.

Approved by the Tompkins County Public Library Board of Trustees 3/27/18. Revised and approved 2023.