Meeting Type - Enabling Public Comments

Public Comments is an add-on module that can be purchased for use with the Internet Publishing module. To enable Public Comments, please contact your account manager.

Each Meeting Type that will accept public comments must be enabled. In eSCRIBE, go to the Menu Bar and Select Meeting Mgmt. Select a Meeting Type Select Update.

Go to the Publishing Section below and expand that section. Look for the Public Comments sub-section and select it to expand the options:

Field	Explanation
Accept Public Comments?	Select this option to turn Public Comments on for this meeting type.
When to Close Comments?	Never - Public Comments can always be received even if the meeting has adjourned. Before - Public Comments can be accepted any amount of time before the meeting's start date/time. Using the text box below, add in the desired time. After - Public Comments can be accepted any amount of time after the meeting's start date/time. Using the text box below, add in the desired time. Note: The desired time for Before or After can be entered in using minutes, hours, days etc. Enter in 60m, 1h, 1d, for example. If using the Before option and setting the time to 60m, eSCRIBE will automatically close Public Comments 60 minutes before the meeting's start time. This setting automatically sets the deadline for public comments, while Creating a Meeting site and can be changed.
Allow Attachments from Public Comments?	Will you accept any documentation to go along with the Public Comment submission? Select this option to enable this feature.
Require approval before publishing?	Select this option is approval is required to publish comments.
Email address required for submission?	If the "Email address required for submission?" setting is unchecked, no verification email will be sent to the citizen, even if they voluntarily give their email. All public comments will show in the Alerts Queue in the applicable meeting site (because there will be no email to click the verification link).
Include position question?	Organizations have the ability to add a position question to be answered on a public comment. The defaults are 'For', 'Against', and 'No Position'. Users can easily change or add to these options. Additional setting to make the position question mandatory on the public comment form. If Position is turned on, a column will be added within the meeting site to display the position in the alerts tab and in the Public Comments area.

Remember that when the settings have been enabled, select Update to save changes and Sync the Profile in any existing meetings to enable this feature. For the Public Comments settings or updating the Public Comments settings, you will be able to see the changes by either unpublishing and republishing existing meetings or create a brand new meeting site to see the changes.

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