Depending on your topic of interest or agenda item number, you will speak in one of three categories:
A. Public Comment Period
Public Comment is held at Saturday Regular Meetings beginning at 8:30 AM, and is intended for new business only. Public Comment is NOT for items on that day's meeting agenda, items that have already been decided, or items that are scheduled for future hearings.
To speak, please submit your regular or recessed registration online or submit a Public Comment speaker slip to the Clerk on the day of the hearing.
- Registrations must be received before 8:15 AM.
- You will have up to 2 minutes to speak.
- Only one speaker per topic (for or against) will be heard.
Members of the Public who are unable to participate on Saturday morning may submit their remarks in writing or may also bring their concerns directly to the Board at one of the pre-scheduled Open Door Monday sessions.
B. Consent Agenda
Consent Agenda Items are heard at Saturday Regular Meetings no earlier than 9:00 AM. Unless an item is removed from Consent, there is no public testimony heard, and all items are voted on in one motion.
To testify on a Consent Agenda item:
Determine if your item is a Public Hearing item or a Non-Public Hearing item. Members of the public may remove Public Hearing items - only a County Board Member may remove a Non-Public Hearing Item.
- For Public Hearing Items: request that the item be removed by emailing countyboard@arlingtonva.us, calling 703.228.3130, or submitting a speaker slip to the Clerk before 9:00 a.m. at the Saturday Regular Meeting. This will automatically remove the item from Consent.
- For Non-Public Hearing Items: request that County Board Member remove the item by emailing countyboard@arlingtonva.us, or calling 703.228.3130. Note that removal of these items is at the Board's discretion.
Items removed from Consent are carried over for a public hearing beginning no earlier than 6:30 PM at the Tuesday Recessed Meeting.
- Once the item has been removed, register to speak by submitting your registration online after the conclusion of the Saturday meeting – pulled items will not be visible on the form until that time.
- If you submitted a speaker slip to the Clerk on Saturday, it will be held over to the Tuesday meeting, there is no need to register online or resubmit your slip.
- Additional speakers may sign-up to testify at the Tuesday recessed meeting by registering online or submitting a speaker slip in-person by 6:30 pm
- At the Tuesday meeting, individuals and organizations have up to 3 minutes to speak on all matters. (Example: if you sign-up to speak on two separate items, you will be called once and given a total of three minutes to speak on both items.)
- Speakers are heard in a group before the Board discusses the removed Consent Agenda items.
C. Regular Agenda
Regular Hearing items may be scheduled at either the Saturday regular meeting or the pre-scheduled Tuesday recessed meeting.
Carefully check the meeting agenda. Regular Hearing Items are heard no earlier than 9 am on Saturday, and no earlier than 6:45 pm on Tuesday.
To speak, submit your Regular Meeting registration or Recessed Meeting registration online, or submit a speaker slip in-person to the Clerk before the first speaker on your item is called; no registrations or speaker slips will be accepted after that time.
- Individuals may speak for a maximum of 2 or 3 minutes per agenda item.
- Representatives of civic organizations may speak for a maximum of 2, 3, or 5 minutes. (The 5 minute slot is reserved for civic organizations.)
- The 2-minute speakers are called first; 3-minute speakers are called second; and, finally, 5-minute speakers. In each category, speakers will be called in the order in which slips are received.