Delegate at a committee meeting

[Guest Tamy]

Hi,

I am in need of any wording that explains how a public member requests to be a delegate at a meeting to make a business presentation, how long they can talk for, etc. Any information provided is greatly appreciated.

[Josh Martin]

15 minutes ago, Guest Tamy said:

I am in need of any wording that explains how a public member requests to be a delegate at a meeting to make a business presentation, how long they can talk for, etc. Any information provided is greatly appreciated.

I'm not entirely certain whether "delegate" is the correct word for this. The word "delegate," as the term is used in RONR, refers to a member of a convention. That does not seem to be the way the term is being used here.

In any event, if a person who is not a member of a body wishes to make a presentation, the procedure would be for a member of the body to make a motion to grant permission for such a presentation to be made. If no motion is pending, a majority vote is sufficient. If the request is for the non-member to speak in debate, this would require a suspension of the rules, and would therefore require a 2/3 vote. In either case, the body may determine, in its own discretion, how long the person may speak. RONR has no special rules pertaining to how the nonmember would initiate this request. Generally, it would seem prudent to try to contact a member of the body regarding the presentation prior to the meeting.

If this is a public body, it may well be that the body has its own rules on this subject, or that there are rules on this matter in state or local law, and if so, those rules should be consulted.

Edited September 17, 2020 at 04:49 PM by Josh Martin