Section 51.7. Public comments at Commission meetings

(a) Public comments at meetings of the full Board.

(1) General rules. The Commission will provide a brief public comment period at the beginning of each public meeting. The Commission ordinarily will accept public comments following its committee reports and prior to its consideration of the formal agenda. The Commission may limit comments to matters that are within the Commission’s jurisdiction that are not repetitive or duplicative of other comments. The Commission president or presiding officer will request members of the public wishing to comment to indicate prior to the start of the meeting that they wish to provide public comment. The Commission president or presiding officer will determine the appropriate time limit for individual comments and announce that limit prior to receiving any comments. If members of the public prepare a written statement, they will be asked to provide a copy to the designated staff person. Members of the public representing a specific organization will be requested to designate one spokesperson to present their collective comments.

(2) Consideration of agenda items. The Commission ordinarily will not permit public comments during the course of its meetings when it considers agenda items or other matters before the Commission. The Commission president or other presiding officer may invite brief public comments on items other than regulatory actions when he determines that allowing the comments will be useful in the best interests of the Commission.

(b) Public comments at committee meetings. The committee chair will provide a brief public comment period at the beginning of each committee meeting. The committee chair will determine an appropriate format for this period, including its length. The Committee chair may limit comments to matters that are related to the charge of the committee that are not repetitive or duplicative of other comments.

The provisions of this § 51.7 adopted October 14, 1994, effective October 15, 1994, 24 Pa.B. 5231; amended December 30, 2011, effective December 31, 2011, 41 Pa.B. 6968. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (340213).

Notation

Authority

The provisions of this § 51.7 issued under section 10 of the Sunshine Act (65 P. S. § 280); and section 506 of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. § 186); amended under section 710 of the Sunshine Act (65 P. S. § 710); and section 506 of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. § 186).