About the Public Comment Period
Pursuant to Section 8-44-112 of the Tennessee Code Annotated, the Metropolitan Council will reserve time for Public Comment during all regular and special Council and Council committee meetings where there are actionable items on the agenda.
This time provides the public with an opportunity to speak about legislative items appearing on Committee and Council meeting agendas. However, this public comment period does not allow for discussion between Councilmembers and the speaker, nor a time for obtaining either answers to questions raised or responses to requests made for information or action.
The Metropolitan Council also holds public hearings on particular items when required by law. Items that receive a public hearing include: rezonings of property, amendments to the Metropolitan zoning code, location exemptions for beer permits, location exemptions for short term rental properties, and the annual operating budget and capital improvements budget. For items that receive a public hearing, members of the public do not need to sign-up to speak.
All speakers and members of the public are asked to be respectful. The Presiding Officer or Committee Chair has discretion to end a speaker's time if speakers are disruptive or off topic.
The Council Office shall make policies and procedures necessary to facilitate the public comment period, including access to language interpretation and other related accessibility needs.
Public Comment Procedures
- Public Comment is limited to twenty minutes total at regular and special Council meetings and limited to eight minutes total at regular and special Council Committee meetings.
- Each speaker is allowed up to two minutes to speak.
- Public comments must pertain to a matter listed on the Committee or Council meeting agenda on the date of the meeting.
- For persons wishing to speak, a physical sign-up sheet will be available on the day of scheduled meetings. Council Committee sign-up sheets will be posted outside the committee room where the committee is scheduled to meet, or outside the David Scobey Council Chamber if the committee is scheduled to meet there. Council meeting sign-up sheets will be available at the Metro Clerk's Office counter on the day of the scheduled Council meeting. Speaker sign-up for Council meetings ends at 6:00 p.m.
- Pursuant to Council Rule of Procedure 25, any written materials such as handouts or other literature must be delivered to the Vice Mayor, Metropolitan Clerk, or Council Office before 3:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. These items must contain the speaker's name, date, organization name (if applicable), telephone number, home address, and signature affixed to the front of the document. Electronic presentations or presentations requiring equipment (PowerPoint, pre-recorded audio/video, etc.) are prohibited.
- Persons needing interpretation services and/or accessibility accommodations should contact the Council Office at 615-862-6780.
- Public comment periods will not be held for any meeting where there are no actionable items on the agenda.