Dare County has announced that virtual public comments will now be accepted during the public comment period that takes place at Board of Commissioners meetings.
Prior to the onset of COVID-19 in March 2020, these meetings were open to the public and held in person at the Board of Commissioners Meeting Room, which is adjacent to the Dare County Administration Building at 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive in Manteo.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, however, the meetings have been held virtually since last spring and livestreamed on the county’s YouTube channel, www.YouTube.com/DareCounty, in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Although individuals have been given the chance to submit public comments via email since the meetings went virtual, county officials have decided to take public engagement a step further by accommodating citizens who’d like to speak at the meetings directly via a webinar platform.
During the public comment period, speakers are permitted to address the entire Dare County Board of Commissioners for up to five minutes regarding any topic, issue or item of concern.
Citizen participation at Board of Commissioners meetings is encouraged, and by offering members of the community the opportunity to submit a public comment directly during the virtual meetings, Dare County hopes to further engage residents and visitors in discussions about issues and events of importance to the community.
To register to offer public comment during the March 15, 2021, Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting, go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1523638755994036240.
The link to register to submit a public comment will change for each meeting. Those who would like to register to speak at future meetings can visit www.DareNC.com/BOC prior to the meeting to sign up. The link to register will be available online approximately one week before each meeting is scheduled to occur.
Dare County Board of Commissioners meetings are typically held on the first and third Monday of each month (with some exceptions due to federal holidays).
For upcoming meeting agendas, as well as the agendas, minutes and videos from past meetings, visit www.DareNC.com/BOC.
