Board Meeting Guidelines

Citizen Participation is Encouraged...

The vision of Dinwiddie County Government is: We cherish our heritage, embrace opportunity, and offer an extraordinary community in which to spend a lifetime. If we are to meet this vision, it is critical that we hear from you.

Time & Place of Meetings

Regular meetings of the Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors are held the third Tuesdays of each month in the Board of Supervisors Meeting Room in the Government Center Building, unless otherwise noted. Special meetings may be held by the Board of Supervisors when necessary.

All meetings of the Board of Supervisors (except for closed sessions) shall be open to the public. The regular meeting is at 3:00 pm, followed by public hearings at 7:00 pm. Citizen comments are allowed during the 3:00 pm session and the 7:00 pm session.

Workshops

In addition to regular meetings, the Dinwiddie County Board has set aside the first Tuesday of each month to hold workshops with staff. Such meetings are typically held in the Training Room in the Board Meeting Room wing of the Government Center Building.

Workshop meetings are open to the public and begin at 4:00 pm. Citizen comments are not allowed at workshop meetings as the items on the agenda are typically the first time in which the board has considered them.

Public Comment Period

Public comment is provided by the board as a part of regular board meetings. Public comment is provided as a legitimate means for a citizen to address the chairman of the board about any issue of concern not listed on the agenda for the (pending) meeting.

It is not provided as a question and answer period or for interchange between the board and the speaker. A three-minute time limit is imposed on each speaker.

Guidelines for Citizen Participation

• Individuals desiring to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting are asked to sign in before the commencement of the meeting on a provide sheet marked “Public Comment Period.”
• A speaker must come to the podium and state his or her name, address, and group affiliation, if any, for the record.
• The chairman may direct appropriate staff to later respond to any questions posed by the speaker.
• The board will not generally respond to questions or answers during public comment. However, if so desired, in response to a written request or questions from a speaker, a board member may direct staff to provide information to the speaker, to provide further research to the board, or to place an issue presented in a future board agenda.
• The chairman may terminate a specific speaker's time, or the public comment period in general, if time does not allow for all speakers, if other items are scheduled for specific times on the agenda, or if the speaker or crowd becomes unruly, derogatory, or personal toward specific individuals, or in general disruptive of the conduct of the board's business.
• Persons appearing before the board will not be allowed to campaign for public office, promote private business ventures, or engage in personal attacks or use profanity or vulgar language.