Participate in meetings
We are committed to retaining public participation at meetings in the current remote working environment. Details for how to comment at meetings is listed above.
Hennepin County Rules of Public Participation
The Hennepin County Rules of Public Participation govern public participation at meetings of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority (HCRRA), and Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA). These rules govern all aspects of public participation at meetings, as well as decorum for members of the public that attend meetings.
The purposes of the rules of public participation are:
- To ensure the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, HCRRA, and HRA can conduct its business in a transparent and effective manner;
- To ensure that members of the public who attend meetings can be heard in a fair, impartial manner;
- To ensure that meetings are conducted in a way that is open to all viewpoints, yet free from abusive, distracting or intimidating behavior; and
- To ensure that the rules governing public participation at meetings are understood by persons attending the meetings.
General rules of decorum for meetings
Meeting attendees
Members of the public attending meetings of the county board, HCRRA, and HRA, including any meeting of a committee of the board, board briefings, and public hearings shall not engage in any of the following activities during a meeting:
- Shouting, chanting, disruptive behavior, clapping, stamping of feet, whistles, use of a bull horn or similar demonstrations;
- Speaking out of turn or making remarks when not recognized by the chair of the board or presiding officer at the meeting;
- Use of profanity, personal attacks, or threats of violence; or
- Any other behavior that disrupts the orderly conduct of the meeting.
Placards, banners and signs
These are not permitted in the county board room. Such placards, banners, or signs are allowed outside the glass partition of the county board room as long as they are held in a manner such that they do not obstruct the view of any person or impede the free flow of movement by any other person at the meeting. When meetings are not held in the county board room, such signs are only allowed in the back of the room in which the board is meeting as long as they are held in a manner such that they do not obstruct the view of any person or impede the free flow of movement by any other person at the meeting.
Rules of decorum for public comments at meetings
Public comments at county board, HCRRA, and HRA meetings are only allowed when authorized. The following rules apply to public comments:
Open forum
Pursuant to county board resolution, members of the public are invited to address the county board.
- Committee meetings: remarks should be limited to topics that are relevant to Hennepin County during the open forum section of the county administration committee meeting.
- Board meetings: remarks should be limited to topics that are relevant to agenda items.
Other opportunities
On occasion there may be other opportunities for the public to address the county board, HCRRA or HRA. On these occasions the rules of decorum governing public hearings apply.
Enforcement of the rules
- If an individual (or individuals) violates the rules of decorum, the chair of the county board or presiding officer at the meeting will request that the individual(s) who is violating a rule cease the violation;
- If the violation continues, the chair of the county board or presiding officer will warn the individual(s) that if the behavior violating the rules does not stop, he/she/they will be required to leave the meeting room;
- If the individual(s) does not stop the behavior violating the rules and/or leave the meeting room as directed by the chair or the presiding officer, the chair of the county board or presiding officer in his or her discretion may request security to remove the individual(s) from the meeting room;
- The chair of the county board or presiding officer may recess the meeting to allow security to remove individual(s) and restore order; and
- Persons who knowingly disrupt the meeting may be subject to arrest and prosecution pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 609.72 for disorderly conduct or other offenses.