Board Meeting Information and Guidelines

Hamilton East Public Library Board of Trustee meetings are generally held on the fourth Thursday of each month with the location alternating between the Fishers and Noblesville libraries. These days/times/locations are subject to change with proper notice posted in compliance with Indiana law. Please contact the library if you have questions or wish to verify meeting information.

All regular board meetings, special board meetings, and emergency board meetings are open to the public. Closed executive sessions are held for the purpose of discussion as permitted by IC 5-14.1.5-6.1(b)(1). No official action may be taken in executive session. All board action must be made during public session.

Addressing the Board of Trustees at Board Meetings/ Public Behavior at Meetings

The Board of Trustees of Hamilton East Public Library, Hamilton County, Indiana (the “Board”) is not required to receive public comment during its public meetings, but wishes to provide said opportunity for members of the public to improve the quality of the library.

Subject to the reasonable rules and registration process described herein, the Board may allow members of the public, physically present at a meeting, to provide oral comment, during a public comment period as scheduled on the agenda. The Board may choose to allow public comment during an electronic meeting held during a declared emergency or local disaster.

• The Board shall allot each person providing public comment up to three (3) minutes to speak with all speakers receiving the same amount of time.
• No person may speak more than once at the same meeting.
• The Board will take speakers on a first-come, first-served basis according to the date and time of registration indicated on the meeting sign in sheet.
• Public Comment will be limited to thirty (30) minutes in total. Time may be extended at the discretion of the Board President (or if the Board president is not in attendance, the presiding Board member)

The purpose of public comment is to give the Board members as much information as possible and to allow members to make comments on issues related to the library. It is not a period to engage in debate with board members or other members of the audience. Board members and administrators are not obligated to provide answers or responses to questions asked during public comment. Questions will be taken under advisement and answers may be returned at a later time.

Comments shall be directed to the entire Board, not an individual Board member. The Board will not tolerate inappropriate language or disruptive statements which includes, but is not limited to, statements that are: threatening, harassing, illegal, obscene, lewd, vulgar, defamatory, libelous, or personal attacks.

Causing a disturbance of any kind that is disruptive to the orderly conduct of the meeting will not be tolerated, this includes, but is not limited to, making statements or comments from the floor during the meeting, attempting to interrupt or participate in discussion from the floor, leaving your seat to approach the board.

The Board president (or if the Board president is not in attendance, the presiding Board member) will enforce these rules and may take actions necessary to maintain order at the meeting.

• Prohibit public comments which are harassing;
• Interrupt, warn, or terminate a person’s statement when the statement is too lengthy, personally directed, abusive, obscene, or irrelevant;
• Request any individual to leave the meeting when, after warning, that person continues to behave in a manner that is disruptive of the orderly conduct of the meeting;
• Request the assistance of law enforcement officers in the removal of a disorderly person when, after warning, that person’s conduct continues to interfere with the orderly progress of the meeting;
• Call for a recess or an adjournment to another time when the lack of public decorum so interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting as to warrant such action.

Approved by Hamilton East Public Library Board of Trustees August 2019, revised October 2021; revised January 2023; revised June 2023