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OTTER TAIL COUNTY – MINNESOTA
MEETING PROTOCOL POLICY
The Otter Tail County Board Meeting Information governs public participation at all open meetings. These
rules govern all aspects of public participation at meetings, as well as decorum for members of the public
that attend meetings.
The purposes of the rules of public participation are:
To ensure the board can conduct its business in a transparent and effective manner;
To ensure that members of the public who attend meetings can be heard in a fair, impartial manner;
To ensure that meetings are conducted in a way that is open to all viewpoints, yet free from abusive,
distracting or intimidating behavior; and
To ensure that the rules governing public participation at meetings are understood by persons
attending the meetings.
GENERAL RULES OF DECORUM FOR MEETINGS
Members of the public attending meetings, including any meeting of a committee of the board and public
hearings, shall not engage in any of the following activities during a meeting:
Shouting, chanting, disruptive behavior, clapping, stamping of feet, whistles, use of a bull horn or
speaking out of turn or making remarks when not recognized by the chair of the board or presiding
officer at the meeting;
Displaying placards, banners and signs;
Use of profanity, personal attacks, or threats of violence; or
Any other behavior that disrupts the orderly conduct of the meeting.
ADDRESSING THE BOARD
The Minnesota Open Meeting Law (OML), Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13D has many requirements public
bodies subject to the law must follow. Generally, the OML establishes the public’s right to attend meetings of
public bodies in order to watch and listen to the proceedings. It does not guarantee the right to speak at an
open meeting. If a public body chooses to allow public comments, the body must establish opportunities and
rules for commenters. Below are the current opportunities and guidelines for addressing the Otter Tail
County Board of Commissioners:
PUBLIC HEARINGS
A public hearing is a meeting that is held where members of the public can express their opinions. The
board is there to regulate the hearing and make sure that people who want to speak get the opportunity
to do so. The board does not deliberate or discuss matters during the public hearing portion of this type
of meeting; instead, it listens to the public. Click here to view the public hearing rules that have been
established. There are two types of public hearings:
1. Discretionary Public Hearings
A board may hold public hearings even when they are not legally required to do so.
Generally, hearings of this type allow the public to comment on a specific issue. If a
discretionary public hearing takes place at a time or place that is different from a regularly
scheduled meeting, notice for a special meeting must be provided.
2. Required Public Hearings
When a specific statute requires a board to hold a public hearing, the notice requirements must
be followed carefully. Often there are special notice requirements that are more substantial than
the notice that must be provided for a special meeting. For example, public hearings required to
amend a land use ordinance.
MEETING STRUCTURE
The Otter Tail County Board is responsible for ensuring that a range of services are available to the
residents of the county, in accordance with state and federal laws and our own mission and mandates.
Meeting agenda items are generally limited to the provision of these services in collaboration with our
community, state and federal partners. Prior to formal consideration or action by the board, agenda items
are often discussed in one of the standing committees:
Administration/Operations
Economic Growth & Community Investment
Finance, Property & License Management
Health & Wellness
Safety & Justice
BOARD CLERK
The clerk serves as the official record keeper of all decisions made by the board. Residents and officials
are welcome to ask questions of the clerk's office regarding attendance at board meetings, meeting
agendas, contacting your commissioner, and advisory board applications and appointments. Duties of
the board clerk include:
Publishing board agendas
Recording meetings and board actions
Preparing meeting minutes for publication in the official county newspaper and for permanent
record in accordance with state law
Certifying board resolutions and meeting minutes
Serving as the liaison for the advisory board’s open appointments process