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Policy

Rules for Conduct of Public Comment at Township Board Meetings

Ten rules governing public comment at Lincoln Township Board meetings, including speaking time limits, how to address the Board, and consequences for violations.

Summary written automatically. The full text below is the record.

Original PDF(19 KB)

TOWNSHIP OF LINCOLN

RULES FOR CONDUCT OF PUBLIC COMMENT

AT MEETINGS OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD

  1. 1.Members of the general public shall be permitted to address comments to the Township Board only during the time designated for Public Comment in the meeting agenda.
  2. 2.Each person who wishes to address the Township Board shall be allowed to speak once for a period of up to five minutes, provided that, in the event that public comments exceed or appear likely to exceed a combined total of one hour, the Supervisor, or meeting moderator, may reduce the time allowed for each speaker to three minutes.
  3. 3.A person shall not address the Township Board until permission is obtained from the Supervisor, or meeting moderator, nor while any other person is speaking.
  4. 4.All comments made by a speaker shall be directed to the Township Board and not to other members of the public. Members of the public are not permitted to interrupt or direct comments to a speaker during the speaker's· remarks to the Township Board.
  5. 5.All persons at a meeting of the Township Board shall be silent at the request of the Supervisor, or meeting moderator.
  6. 6.Each person wishing to address the Township Board must identify himself or herself by name and address. If the person represents an organization or group, the person shall indicate whether his or her comments represent the official view of the organization or group.
  7. 7.All persons addressing the Township Board shall do so only from the table" podium or other location specified by the Supervisor, or meeting moderator, for the presentation of Public Comments. No person shall address the Township Board from any other location.
  8. 8.Members of the Township Board may question speakers, but are not obligated to answer questions or make statements or commitments in response to issues raised by the public.
  9. 9.Members of the public may not, in the course of their comments to the Township Board, make personal attacks upon members of the Township Board or officers or employees of the Township that are unrelated to the performance of their duties.
  10. 10.Violation of any of the above rules shall be deemed a breach of the peace at the meeting in which the violation occurred. Violation of these rules shall permit the Supervisor, or meeting moderator, to order the offending person to withdraw from that meeting and for that person's failure to withdraw, that person shall be ordered to be excluded from the meeting. The order for withdrawal and/or exclusion of a person shall be applicable only to the meeting at which the violation or breach of peace was actually committed.

This page was converted from the original PDF on September 23, 2026. If anything here differs from the original, the original is the official record.

Need this document in another format, or found something that doesn’t match? Contact the Township Clerk at clerk@lincolntwp-midland.gov or (989) 374-2220.