Public Participation at Board Meeting
The Board of the Greater Westhampton Chamber of Commerce encourages public comment at Board meetings, in which members or individuals are invited to participate. One period for public expression is provided at said meeting of the Board. During this period, the Board President, or the officer who is presiding over the meeting, will ask for brief comments from the public and will set a time limit on such comments. Individual presentations shall be limited to no more than five (5) minutes.
The public shall be recognized as the last or first item on the agenda. Persons wishing to speak will identify themselves, any organizations they may be representing at the meeting and, where applicable, the agenda topic they wish to discuss. Comments should be kept as brief as possible and relate to chamber matters. Members of the Board are not obligated to respond to questions or comments from the public, but may do so at their own discretion, according to the rules of parliamentary procedure.
The Board President, or the officer who is presiding over the meeting, is responsible for the orderly conduct of the meeting and shall rule on such matters as: the time to be allowed for public expression; the appropriateness of the subject being presented; and the “timeliness” of such presentation.
Undo interruption or other interference with the orderly conduct of Board business cannot be allowed. Defamatory or abusive remarks are always out of order. The presiding officer may terminate the speaker’s privilege of address if, after being called to order, he or she persists in improper conduct or remarks.
At a public meeting of the Board, no person shall verbally initiate charges or complaints against individual employees of the Chamber. All such charges and/ or complaints shall be presented to the Board of Directors in writing, signed by the complainant. All such charges, if properly presented, shall be handled by the Board of Directors for investigation and report.
Adopted by the Board of Directors: May 13, 2025
