NCPC - meeting participation

Meeting Participation

The National Capital Planning Commission welcomes public involvement in its planning for the National Capital Region and invites members of the public to comment on projects the agency reviews or conducts.

The Commission provides various opportunities for public participation during regularly scheduled monthly meetings and special public meetings. Potential speakers must adhere to publicized deadlines for both the monthly Commission meetings and all special public meetings.

Public Participation Guidelines
Please review the following guidelines for sharing your views at a monthly Commission meeting.

Written Comments
If you wish to submit written comments about a project that will be reviewed at a Commission meeting, please deliver 25 copies of your comments to NCPC's Office of the Secretariat located at 401 9th Street, NW, North Lobby, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20004.

Oral Comments
To present your comments orally at a Commission meeting, you must adhere to the deadlines.

You can register to speak at an NCPC meeting by contacting Long Diep or Marcella Brown at 202-482-7200.

On the Day of the Meeting
• Please arrive at the Commission offices in time to speak on the item of interest to you. Although we estimate starting times for the various agenda items, these times are not absolute.

• Your name will be called out when it is your turn to speak. Please step up to the podium and speak clearly into the microphone.

• Before beginning your testimony, state your name and, if applicable, the organization you represent. Your comments will be recorded.

Time Guidelines
• Under normal circumstances, individual citizens expressing their own views are allowed three minutes and individuals representing organizations are allowed five minutes. Time limits are subject to change at the discretion of the Chairman. Such changes depend on the nature of the item, the number of speakers, and the amount of discussion time allotted to the item.

• When a buzzer indicates that your time is up, please complete your sentence and promptly conclude your remarks.

• If you have registered to speak and are present at the meeting, you may cede your time to another person.

Speaker Deadlines
Members of the public are invited to express their views on any projects on the Tentative Agenda that requires Commission approval. Prospective speakers must meet the registration deadline (shown below). The Tentative Agenda classification of projects as Proposed Action Items or Proposed Delegated Items is preliminary and subject to change prior to the Commission meeting.

• Action Items are projects that will be presented and discussed at the Commission meeting. Members of the public are invited to give testimony on these projects. Some projects listed as Proposed Action Items on the Tentative Agenda will be moved to the Consent Calendar if no speakers have registered by the deadline. The Commission votes on Consent Calendar Items but does not hear a presentation or public testimony.

• Delegated Items are projects that the Commission delegates to the Chairman, Executive Committee, or Executive Director. Delegated Items are not presented or discussed at the Commission meeting. If a member of the public registers to speak on a Proposed Delegated Item by the deadline (see schedule below), then that item will become an Action Item.

Please follow the schedule below to ensure that you meet the deadlines to express your views:

April 24, 2009 5:00 PM	Deadline for submitting written comments or registering to speak on *Proposed Delegated Items* on the tentative agenda.
April 29, 2009 12:00 Noon	Deadline for registering to speak at Commission meeting on Proposed Action Items. If no member of the public signs up to speak on a Proposed Action Item by this deadline, then the project may be moved to the Consent Calendar and acted on by the Commission without presentation or discussion.
May 4, 2009	Copies of the Executive Director's Recommendations on Final Action Items become available to the public on the Monday prior to the Commission meeting day.
May 6, 2009 12:00 Noon	Deadline for registering to speak on Action Items on the final agenda, or for submitting written comments for distribution to the Commission for consideration. (Please provide 25 copies of your written comments.) Please note NCPC's policy for those speaking on behalf of an organization: Prior to giving testimony at each Commission meeting, please submit to NCPC an official letter from your organization, stating that your testimony is authorized by the organization.

If you wish to review submission materials or communicate your views in writing or in person on any of the items listed on the agenda, please contact Long Diep or Marcella Brown in the Office of the Secretariat, (202) 482-7200. Public views on non-federal plans and projects should be limited to their effect on federal interests in the National Capital Region. Agenda items are occasionally withdrawn prior to the Commission meeting. Please telephone the Commission’s offices to confirm any item of particular interest.