How to comment in person at a Park Board meeting

You can do it!

Commenting in person at a MPRB meeting can feel intimidating, but it’s the best way to make your voice count. For better or worse, commissioners place a lot of weight on comments made in person.

When and where

Board meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of every month. They take place at MPRB headquarters, 2117 West River Road. “Open Time” starts at 5:30pm, so plan to be there by then. You can find information on upcoming meetings here.

How to sign up

The best way to sign up is to call 612-230-6400 before 3pm on the day of the meeting and ask to speak at Open Time. This gets you higher on the list, which means you get to speak earlier in the order. If you haven’t called ahead, you can sign up in-person at the meeting, just be sure to arrive before 5:30pm.

Tips

On a busy night, you will likely only get one minute to speak. We recommend writing out your speech, and practicing it a couple times with a stopwatch. One minute goes by very fast!

When there’s controversy and a lot of people show up, Open Time may last for hours. Come prepared! Eat beforehand if you can. Bring water. Have childcare arranged. Yes, it’s a huge nuisance. Yes, it’s exclusionary. No, it’s not a good system. But until the Park Board figures out a better way to listen to the community, this is what we have to work with.