Introduction

All Minnesota Council on Transportation Access (MCOTA) meetings shall be open to the public. Meetings shall be advertised by meeting notices posted to the MCOTA website. Opportunity for in-person public comment(s) shall be provided at the beginning of MCOTA meetings and through written comments posted to the MCOTA’s website.

Public comment opportunities are available for the Council to hear from interested members of the community. Council members do not provide responses or engage in direct conversation during public comment. If stakeholders wish to receive an answer to a specific question, please contact the staff to the Council or, at the MCOTA meeting, request a response by completing a written comment card at the speaker sign-in table. Members of the community may also submit non-personal public comment(s) to the Council through the MCOTA Public Comment Form.

Comment Submission

Comments must be submitted at least 48 hours prior to the start of the meeting, and can be submitted via mail, online form, or phone to Council staff:
Tom Gottfried
Minnesota Department of Transportation
395 John Ireland Blvd, MS 315
Saint Paul, MN 55155
Phone: (651) 366-4171
MCOTA Public Comment Form

Staff to the Council will read selected comments at the start of each Council meeting.

A. MCOTA meetings

  1. The Council shall receive general stakeholder comments at the meeting.
  2. The Council may receive public comment on specific agenda action items prior to the Council’s discussion of agenda items during the meeting.
  3. The Council shall allocate 15-minutes for public comment at the beginning of the meeting. Each speaker shall be given three-minutes for comment.
  4. To receive priority, stakeholders, including elected officials, shall sign up to comment at least 48-hours prior to the scheduled start time of the meeting to sign-in through the MCOTA Public Comment Form; the Staff to the Council number is: (651) 366-4171 should stakeholders need assistance with the website.
  5. Stakeholders who call-in to sign up for a comment slot prior to the committee of the whole, but due to time constraints will not be able to provide comment at this meeting, may address up to three (3) minutes of comments to the Council at the beginning of the meeting if they so choose.
  6. The Staff to the Council will read all written comments posted to the MCOTA website at the start of the public comment portion of the meeting.
  7. If several individuals are concerned with the same issue and share the same opinion, they are required to select a spokesperson to represent the group.
  8. Speakers will address the Council in the order in which they signed in, following written comments received on the MCOTA website.
  9. It is recommended that stakeholders presenting highly detailed or complex information provide a written outline of their comments for the Council members.
  10. The Council will not take public comment on personnel issues or statements regarding the character, professional competence, or the physical or mental health of an individual during public meetings.
  11. Persons are expected to honor meeting decorum. Applause, cheering, jeering, or speech that defames individuals or stymies or blocks meeting progress will not be tolerated and may be cause for removal from the meeting or for the Council to suspend or adjourn the meeting.
  12. Council meeting attendance cannot exceed the seating capacity of the room in which the meeting is scheduled to be held. Whenever possible, the Council will provide overflow seating for the meeting.

B. MCOTA Work Team or Task Force Meetings

  1. Updates from work teams or task force meetings will be provided at the next subsequent full MCOTA meeting.
  2. No official board actions shall be taken during task force or working group meetings.

C. MCOTA Executive Committee Meetings

  1. Work sessions shall be scheduled as necessary for the Council to review and discuss pending issues and set the agenda for MCOTA meetings.
  2. No official board action shall be taken during a work session.