Highlights of County Board meetings
This “User’s Guide” is intended to help citizens understand and communicate with County government officials in the most effective ways.
The best way to be involved in a major decision is to follow it from the beginning. Local government rarely moves quickly. Major issues are generally discussed, studied, and analyzed for months or years before options are proposed. All during this long preparatory period, members of the public can get involved.
Providing meaningful input does require effort, but the doors are open. You CAN learn about what’s going on. You CAN understand how and why the legislators are considering particular solutions to community problems. By following and voicing opinions on issues as they develop, you can help your elected officials make the best, most publicly-responsive decisions.
Watch or attend meetings. All County Government meetings, including committee and advisory board meetings, are open to the public. The twice-monthly Board of Representatives meetings are broadcast live on Government Access Cable Channel 15 and are replayed at least 5 times. Tapes of these meetings are also available for members of the public to borrow. To borrow a tape, call 607-274-5434.
Get the agendas of meetings in advance. The agenda for each Board of Representatives meeting is available from the Board office by Thursday afternoon prior to the following Tuesday’s meeting. Copies of resolutions to be discussed at the meeting are also available at that time. Board office staff will fax or e-mail agendas or specific resolutions on request. NOTE: Additional resolutions may be added after the agenda is printed. Call the Board office, 607-274-5434, during business hours for updates to the agenda.
Ask for information. Ask the Board office staff or the Representative for your district about committee meetings and issues currently under discussion. Call committee chairs and request information about issues of interest to you. Ask to be notified of key discussions or committee votes.
Read the meeting minutes. Minutes of the Board of Representatives and for many of the standing and special committees are posted on the County website
Follow the media coverage. Listen to local radio news, watch the local news channel, and read the local newspapers. Local governments must depend on the media to get their news to the public, but space and time limitations often prevent thorough coverage, and media reports are occasionally misleading. When an issue is of particular interest to you, please double-check information gleaned from the media by talking directly with the decision-makers.
Be knowledgeable. Ask questions and learn the facts about issues of concern to you. The better you understand an issue, the more credible and effective your comments will be.
Communicate one-to-one. Talk with the people making the decisions. All Board of Representatives members will respond to phone calls from constituents. Many of the Reps have e-mail addresses, all can be reached by fax at the Board office, and letters can be sent to either home addresses or the Board office. You are welcome to talk with any Rep, not just the one from your home district.
Comment on issues as the solutions are being developed. Eleventh-hour appeals, when decisions are about to be made, may have limited impact on legislators who have been studying and deliberating on an issue for months or even years. Useful ideas and opinions may simply come too late in the process to be considered.
Speak to the Board. Come to Board meetings and address the Representatives during the public comment period. Although the rules for the meeting generally prevent the Reps from engaging in dialog at that time, replies to public comment are sometimes given later in the meeting. Members of the public can also request a written reply or phone call from a member of the Board in response to a question or concern.
Use the media. Every member of the public has access to the letters-to-the-editor pages of the local newspapers. A clear, informed letter or guest column can be very effective. Some local activist or taxpayer groups issue their own media releases to call attention to issues of public concern.
Get Involved. Volunteer to serve on an advisory committee or board that focuses on issues of importance to you. If a membership slot is not currently open, attend the meetings and voice or offer written opinions at the appropriate time. With just a little bit of research, you can find out what groups are concerned with what issues. Farmland, water quality, bikeways, industrial development, tourism, the arts, cable, daycare—almost anything you can think of has a committee or board concerned with it. By contacting people who serve on these boards, you can get more detailed information and possibly have an opportunity to influence decisions early on in the process.
The Board of Representatives meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month, at 5:30 pm, on the second floor of the County Courthouse, 320 N. Tioga St., Ithaca. Each meeting starts with a period for public comment when members of the public may address the Board on any subject.