Government, Public Hearings, and Townhalls

Government Consulting

Governmental and public bodies must take special care to ensure that their use of parliamentary procedure does not deprive citizens their rights of attendance or participation in meetings. City Councils, School Boards, Commissions, Advisory Committees, Economic Authorities, and the like are increasingly receiving mandates on the conduct of their meetings. The consulting we provide with our other services can be tailored to meet the needs of these groups. Some potential examples include:

  • Parliamentarian / Advisor to the Chairman, Secretary, or Attorney
  • Recording Secretary/Clerk to take meeting minutes and conduct votes in compliance with open government statutes
  • Board or Commission training on parliamentary procedure
  • The development of special rules of order that balance open meeting laws with the need to conduct business

Outside of formal business meetings that follow Robert’s Rules of Order, Last Minute Meetings can also provide public affairs and stakeholder engagement services with conducting public hearings, information sessions, group facilitation, and event staffing. Last Minute Meetings is SWaM-Certified as a Micro, Small, and Minority-Owned Business and a certified DBE firm within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us or schedule a free consultation if you have questions or would like a quote. Last Minute Meetings can tailor its pricing to meet micro-purchase thresholds for government procurement policies.

Public Hearings

Public hearings are oftentimes a necessary component before a government or public body can move forward with a major project.  Additionally, many homeowners’ and condominium associations also use public hearings as an opportunity to receive input before enacting neighborhood policy.  Last Minute Meetings can assist your organization through the entire public hearings process, including:

  • Notice and Advertisement
  • Staffing the Hearing and Sign-In Process
  • Analyzing Comments
  • Drafting the Official Response

Townhalls and Charrettes

Groups also use more collaborative meeting techniques to solicit and incorporate feedback from the public or its membership.  Townhall meetings allow an organization’s leadership to announce new initiatives and answer questions from stakeholders.  Charrettes are a collaborative design/planning activity that allows stakeholders to participate in dialogue and have a hand in vision development.  They are similar to a focus group, but more interactive.  Last Minute Meetings can moderate/facilitate these meetings, allowing your organization’s leadership to focus on delivering the content.