Public Forum / Attending a Council Meeting

Attending a Council Meeting

Council and Committee meetings are guided by legislation to keep the meeting in order and moving along smoothly. The Chairperson will ensure that your time before the Council/Committee has minimum formality and maximum comfort so that we all get the best out of the time available.

The following points outline key guidelines for members of the public presenting to a report on an agenda during a Council meeting.

• You will be provided with a time to attend the meeting. If you require any equipment or have any special needs, please let us know at least two to three days in advance. Our Governance staff require enough notice to ensure they can adequately prepare for the meeting.
• Report to the front counter on arrival at Council offices and advise the staff that you are presenting and at what meeting. Please make sure you are on time for your appointed speaking time. If you are held up, or are unable to make it on time, please contact Council on 0800 926 732.
• At front counter, you will be registered as a visitor and shown to Council Chambers.
• Please enter the room and take a seat in the public seating area set aside.
• If you arrive before the start time for the meeting, Governance staff will identify you and let the Chairperson know that you are here.
• If you arrive during the meeting, your arrival will be noted and you will be asked to identify yourself at the first available opportunity. Please feel free to enter the meeting room and take a seat.
• Remember that time slots provided are only guidelines. You may have to wait a short time before you make your presentation to allow other business to be completed.
• When your time comes, the Chairperson will invite you to make your presentation. If necessary, the Chairperson will guide you through any special meeting protocols.
• Any written submission or other material previously lodged with Council will have already been circulated to elected members. If you have further written material or a presentation to make, the elected members will usually ask for a copy for their future reference. If not, governance staff will approach you at the end of your presentation and ask to copy your material. This is important for public record purposes and can also assist your presentation as the elected members can refer back to your personal statements.
• At the conclusion of your presentation, elected members may discuss it. You may answer any questions if the elected members ask you specifically to make a point of clarification.
• The Chairperson will advise when you may return to your seat. You are generally entitled to stay for the remainder of the meeting, as all meetings are open to the public unless there is a confidential section. The Chairperson will advise you on this as required.
• At this stage, you may leave the meeting at any time you wish.
• If a decision is made at the meeting while you are present, please do not take this as authority to go ahead. There are procedures that must be followed and you should not take action on anything until you have a written authority from Council. Please feel free to contact the Governance Services Team if you are unsure.

If there is anything you are unsure about before you come along to the meeting, please contact the Governance Services Team by email: GovernanceServices@westernbay.govt.nz or by phone: 0800 926 732 to discuss your situation.

Public Forum

Public forums are a defined period of time, usually at the start of a meeting, which is put aside for the purpose of public input. Public forums are designed to enable members of the public to bring matters to the attention of Council.

In the case of Council, a committee, subcommittee or community board, any issue, idea or matter raised in a public forum must also fall within the terms of reference of that meeting.

If you want to speak in public forum, contact the Governance Services Team at least two (2) days prior to the meeting date by phone at 0800 926 732 or email at GovernanceServices@westernbay.govt.nz and they will guide you and advise of the best meeting for you to attend. Council is not able to make a decision on your presentation but may refer your issue to staff for a further report.

Time Limits

Public forum is for a period of up to 30 minutes. Additional time maybe granted at the Chairperson's discretion. Speakers can talk for up to five minutes. We recommend that no more than two speakers speak on behalf of an organisation during Public Forum. Where the number of speakers presenting exceeds this (no more than 6),the Chairperson has discretion to restrict the speaking time permitted for all presenters.

Restrictions

The Chairperson has the discretion to decline to hear a speaker or to terminate a presentation at any time where:

• a speaker is repeating views presented by an earlier speaker at the same public forum;
• the speaker is criticising elected members and/or staff;
• the speaker is being repetitious, disrespectful or offensive;
• the speaker has previously spoken on the same issue;
• the matter is subject to legal proceedings;
• the matter is subject to a hearing, including the hearing of submissions where the local authority or committee sits in a quasi-judicial capacity.

Questions at Public Forums

At the conclusion of the presentation, with the permission of the Chairperson, elected members may ask questions of speakers. Questions are to be confined to obtaining information or clarification on matters raised by a speaker.

No Resolutions

Following the public forum, no debate or decisions will be made at the meeting on issues raised.

Recording and Responding to Public Forum Matters

Brief notes may be kept of matters raised in public forum. Matters for action will be referred through the service request system, while those requiring further investigation may be referred to the relevant staff for further report. If no resolution referring a request for further report is made, no further action will be taken on those matters which are not service requests.

Livestreamed Meetings

If you are interested in the Council or Committee meeting but can't attend, then watch the livestream meeting on Council's Youtube Channel.