Public Comment Session

RULE OF THE LYNN CITY COUNCIL WITH RESPECT TO PUBLIC COMMENT

  1.  Regular Meetings 

    1. Under the provisions of Chapter 43, Section 98 of the General Laws, individuals, and employees of the city shall have reasonable opportunity to be heard at the second meeting of the month (generally the fourth Tuesday of the month except in July and August) of the Lynn City Council in regards to any matter regardless of whether such matter is on the Council Agenda.
    2. The Public Comment Period shall commence at 5:15 p.m.
    3. Each speaker shall limit their comments to no more than three minutes.
    4. No more than five speakers shall be permitted to speak during the Public Comment Period, unless this Rule is waived by a majority of the full City Council.
    5. An individual may sign up to speak before the City Council on-line via the City’s website from 5:15 p.m. on the Thursday before the meeting until 3:00 p.m. the day of the meeting or via telephone to the City Council office on the day of the meeting from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
    6. The individual should indicate their name, address, and the subject(s) they are planning to address.
    7. Individuals will be heard in the order that they signed up.
    8. Once five speakers have signed up for a particular meeting, no further requests to speak will be accepted.
    9. Public comment is limited to Lynn residents unless rules are suspended. Please note these rules do not apply to public hearings which are governed by state law.
    10. Public testimony is not a public hearing or a question and answer period.
    11. An individual may request the assistance of an Interpreter when they sign up to speak. 
    12. Residents who are unable to attend a meeting due to disability may sign up as one of the five speakers for Public Comment and forward their comments via email or regular mail to [email protected].  Their communication will be read during Public Comment time as if the person were present at the meeting. Please note that written statements must still fall within 120 seconds.
    13. Speakers must always remain within the bounds of decorum.
    14. Individuals will be allowed to deliver their address without interruption.
    15. During any Public Comment Period, there shall be no direct reply to the speaker or comment from Council members or from city’s appointed officials.
    16. The City Council will rotate who shall preside over the Public Comment Period as Chairperson.
    17. No one shall delay, disrupt or interrupt the City Council proceedings and the public comment period should be conducted in an orderly and peaceable manner. 
    18. No person in attendance shall disrupt or interrupt any person who is speaking during the Public Comment Period. 
    19. No speaker may physically threaten any elected or appointed city official or member of the audience. 
    20. No individual is permitted to speak at successive Public Comment meetings to ensure the voices of as many residents are heard.  

Please Note:  MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL LAWS, CHAPTER 30A, SECTION 20 (g)

No person shall address a meeting of a public body without permission of the chair, and all persons shall, at the request of the chair, be silent. No person shall disrupt the proceedings of a meeting of a public body. If, after clear warning from the chair, a person continues to disrupt the proceedings, the chair may order the person to withdraw from the meeting and if the person does not withdraw, the chair may authorize a constable or other officer to remove the person from the meeting.