PROPOSED on agenda 12/3/2024 Dearborn County Board of Commissioners and Dearborn County Council Meeting Decorum Rules

Dearborn County Board of Commissioners and Dearborn County Council Meeting Decorum Rules

 Pursuant to Indiana Code § 5-14-1.5-3(g), Dearborn County is permitted to take reasonable steps to maintain order during public meetings, including the removal of any person who is willfully disruptive during a public meeting.

 In an effort to maintain order and as permitted by Indiana Code § 5-14-1.5-3.3, and in conformance therewith, the following “Meeting Decorum Rules” are hereby adopted: 

1. Adoption and Application a. The “Meeting Decorum Rules” adopted herein shall apply to all meetings of the Dearborn County Board of Commissioners and the Dearborn County Council. b. Pursuant to Indiana Code § 5-14-1.5-3.3(h), Indiana Code § 34-13-3-3(a)(8) shall apply to these “Meeting Decorum Rules”. 

2. Public Comment a. Periods of “public comment” may be included in a meeting agenda at the sole discretion of the Commissioners and/or County Council and may include the following: 

i. General public comment included as an agenda item at the end of the meeting; 

ii. Public comment as part of a Public Hearing required by State law; 

iii. Public comment on a specific agenda item as permitted by the presiding officer prior to any discussion or vote of an agenda item by the Commissioners and/or County Council; and/or 

iv. Public comment permitted by the presiding officer for any other reason.

 b. Public comments from attendee shall be limited to three (3) minutes and the attendee shall be entitled to speak only once per meeting. 

i. An attendee offering public comment may request additional time which may be granted at the discretion of the presiding officer. 

3. Disruptions by Meeting Attendees 

a. In an effort to maintain order during meetings of the Dearborn County Board of Commissioners and the Dearborn County Council, disruptive behavior by attendees shall not be permitted. 

b. The presiding officer shall issue warnings to any attendee who disrupts a meeting. The disruptive attendee shall initially be given two (2) warnings by the presiding officer. After the issuance of a third warning, if there is any further disruption by the attendee, the presiding officer shall: i. Order the disruptive attendee to leave the meeting; and ii. Request the assistance of the Dearborn County Sheriff’s Office to remove the disruptive attendee from the meeting if the disruptive attendee refuses to leave the meeting when directed to do so by the presiding officer for repeated violations of the “Meeting Decorum Rules”. 

c. To “disrupt” a meeting shall include, but is not limited to, the following: Speaking longer than the allotted time unless permitted by the presiding officer, yelling from the audience, interrupting board members, speaking without being recognized by the presiding officer, threatening language, foul language (meaning words not typically spoken on broadcast television), threatening behavior, defamatory comments, personal attacks, and/or violent behavior. 

d. Pursuant to Indiana Code § 5-14-1.5-3.3(g), nothing contained herein shall be construed as prohibiting a law enforcement officer from immediately removing an attendee from a meeting if: i. Removal of the attendee is necessary to maintain order or ensure the safety of another person; ii. The attendee commits a criminal offense; or iii. The attendee violates these “Meeting Decorum Rules”.

 e. Attendees with a persistent cough, sneeze, or the like may be asked by the presiding officer to step outside of the meeting until the issue has subsided.

 4. Notification of Meeting Decorum Rules 

a. As required by Indiana Code § 5-14-1.5-3.3(f), attendees of all Dearborn County Board of Commissioners and Dearborn County Council meetings shall be notified of these Meeting Decorum Rules by having said rules posted in a visible area at the entrance to the meeting location.