Orange County NC Website
16 23 <br /> (c) The board may, by approval of a majority of its members, i.e. an <br /> affirmative vote equal to a quorum,add an item at the meeting that is <br /> not on the agenda. <br /> Comment: Because of the increased volume and complexity of <br /> the matters they must consider,nearly all boards use an agenda. <br /> Some boards use an agenda only to organize the material they <br /> must consider and to give themselves an opportunity to study <br /> the issues before they meet.These boards generally allow last- <br /> minute additions to the agenda by general consent. This rule <br /> takes that approach. Other boards use their agenda to control <br /> the length of their meetings. Often a board that uses its agenda <br /> for this purpose will hold a work session before the regular meet- <br /> ing to ask questions and thoroughly explore the proposals that <br /> must be voted on at the regular meeting.Generally these boards <br /> take a stricter approach and do not allow late additions to the <br /> agenda unless an emergency exists. <br /> Rule 9. Public Comments - Items Not on the Printed <br /> Agenda. The county manager shall include on the agenda of <br /> each regular meeting a time for comments or questions from <br /> members of the public in attendance. The chair will first recog- <br /> nize individuals or groups who have signed up to be heard, and <br /> then may recognize others, subject to available time. Speakers <br /> will be allowed three minutes each up to an hour total. After <br /> the hour set aside for public comments has expired, the chair <br /> will recognize further speakers only upon motion duly made <br /> and adopted. As noted above public comment is not accepted <br /> at work sessions but only at meetings. North <br /> Carolina law requires local governments to schedule one public <br /> comment period at one regular meeting one time per month. <br /> Orange County far exceeds this mandate and schedules a <br /> public comment period at all of its reeu4erbusiness meetings <br /> during which the public may comment on any topic. Further <br /> the public is invited to comment separately on each item on a <br /> reeitlErbusiness meeting agenda. <br /> Petitions/Resolutions/Proclamations and other similar requests <br /> submitted by the public will not be acted upon by the Board of <br /> Commissioners at the time presented. All such requests will be re- <br /> ferred for Chair/Vice Chair/Manager review and for recommenda- <br /> tions to the full Board at a later date regarding a) consideration of <br /> the request at a future regular Board meeting; or b) receipt of the <br /> request as information only. Submittal of information to the Board <br /> or receipt of information by the Board does not constitute approval, <br /> endorsement, or consent. <br />