The County Commission meetings shall be divided into quarterly sessions each year, with each new quarter beginning in January, April, July, and October, respectively. The regular meetings of the Jefferson County Commission are held in the County Commission Meeting Room in the Old Charles Town Library, located at 200 East Washington Street, Charles Town, West Virginia.

Regular County Commission meetings shall be held on the first and third Thursday of each month. The meetings on the first Thursday shall commence at 9:30 a.m. Meetings held on the third Thursday shall commence at 6:00 p.m. The County Commission meets in regular session until all business is complete. The Commission may recess and reconvene to complete the business of the day. At all times, the public is invited and welcomed to attend any County Commission meeting. The Commission will provide an opportunity for public comment at the beginning of each regular meeting.

The County Commission Agenda packet for regular meetings shall be published on the

Commission’s website by approximately 5:00 pm the Monday before the Thursday Meeting.

In addition to the notice procedures outlined in the sections below, the Commission will post notice of all special, regular, and emergency meetings on its website at www.jeffersoncountywv.org.

As provided by law, the County Commission may hold special sessions, whenever the public interests may require, to be called by the president with the concurrence of the majority of the County Commissioners. In the event a special session is called, the Clerk of the County Commission shall post at the front door of the Courthouse at least (2) days before a special session is to be held a notice stating the time, place and purpose for which such special session shall be held. Jurisdiction of said special session is confined to such business as the public shall have been notified in the call of the special session. If the special session is cancelled, notice of such cancellation shall be posted at the front door of the courthouse. Media shall be notified of such special session or cancellation as soon as possible.

As provided by law, regular session and special session posting requirements shall not apply in the event of any emergency requiring immediate official action. However, in the event of an emergency meeting, the Commission will provide notice to the public as soon as the meeting is scheduled. In the event of any emergency requiring immediate official

action, the Clerk of the Commission shall post at the front door of the Courthouse notice of the meeting at any time prior to the meeting. The meeting notice shall state the time, place and purpose of the meeting and the facts and circumstances of the emergency. Media shall be notified of emergency sessions as soon as possible.

As provided by law, the Clerk of the County Commission shall post at the front door of the Courthouse, notice of the time and place fixed and entered of record by the County Commission for the holding of regularly scheduled sessions. Should any such session fall on a holiday, the session shall be cancelled or held on an alternate day decided by the County Commission. If an alternate day is scheduled or a meeting is cancelled, notice of such alternate day or cancellation shall be posted at the front door of the Courthouse. Media shall be notified of said alternate day or cancellation of session as soon as possible.

Work sessions provide commissioners the opportunity to meet with staff in order to delve into complex issues, discuss solutions and alternatives, give direction to staff, finalize agendas, or create consent agendas. Work sessions may be held immediately prior to a regular meeting or may be held at other times established by the Commission. Work sessions may be used by commissioners to prepare for upcoming regular meetings. These meetings are typically less formal and are often used for information gathering; no formal votes are taken. However, it should be noted that work sessions are subject to the open meetings law.

Commission meetings that are closed to the public are often referred to as executive sessions. Such sessions may only be held for the specific, limited purposes authorized by the West Virginia Open Meetings Act, and the Commission must comply with statutory procedures when closing a meeting. These private sessions can be held with the elected officials and any staff or appointed professionals necessary to the discussion.

The County Commission recognizes the value of public comment on Commission issues and the importance of allowing members of the public to express themselves on matters of community interest. As such, the Commission will set an item on the agenda of each regular meeting for public comment.

The following guidelines pertain to all speakers who will be addressing the Commission during the Public Comment Sessions. Please note that public comment is live-streamed on the internet during the Commission’s meeting, and the video is retained on the Commission website. The identity of speakers and their comments are recorded in the official minutes of the Commission, which minutes are retained online and are publicly available in perpetuity.

did not have the opportunity to sign in prior to the meeting, the President will ask at the end of the public comment if there are any other individuals who wish to make public comment. Those wishing to speak should raise their hand and the President will recognize them.

• Each speaker shall be limited to three (3) minutes during the public comment period. The Clerk will indicate when your time has expired and the next speaker will be invited to begin.
• Public comment is not a question and answer period. It provides individuals with an opportunity to express their comments regarding any subject matter. All comments shall be directed only to the Commission as whole; no person may address or question Board members individually.
• The Commission will not respond to comments made during the public comment period unless it becomes necessary to direct speakers to the County Administrator for assistance. Issues requiring possible action by the County Commission may be added to a future agenda.
• Unused portions of individual allotted times may not be yielded to other speakers.
• Written comments and materials brought for the Commission by speakers will be accepted during public comment and will be made available to all Commissioners.

  The following will not be permitted during public comment:

   

• Hate speech
• Comments that incite violence
• Profanity, obscenity or vulgarity
• Use of public comment as a forum to campaign for any political office
• Name calling and/or personal attacks

   

  If a specific public comment violates the provisions of this policy, the President or presiding member may:

• interrupt, warn, or terminate an individual’s presentation
• request that any individual leave the meeting when that individual fails to observe reasonable decorum;
• request the assistance of bailiffs in the removal of a disorderly individual when that individual’s conduct interferes with the orderly progress of the meeting; and
• call for a brief recess

Resolution - Establishment of Time and Place of Regular Meeting