Contacting the Board of Supervisors/County Administrator
Citizens are encouraged to talk with members of the Board and/or County Administrator at any time, although appointments are advisable.
Board of Supervisors
101-C Mounts Bay Road
P O Box 8784
Williamsburg, VA
E-mail: jccboard@james-city.va.us
(757) 253-6609 • (757) 253-6833 fax
County Administrator
101-C Mounts Bay Road
P O Box 8784
Williamsburg VA
(757) 253-6603 • (757) 253-6833 fax
E-mail: cadm@james-city.va.us
Regular Meetings
The Board of Supervisors usually holds two regular meetings per month. During a regular meeting, the Board acts on various resolutions and ordinances in order to complete business for the County. During these meetings, public hearings may be held as needed. During the regular meetings, the public is given two opportunities to give Public Comment, or speak on any item germane to the Board of Supervisors, for up to three minutes. If a public hearing is advertised, the Board opens up the floor to the public to speak specifically to the public hearing matters following staff’s report. The regular meetings occur at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month in the Building F Board Room except for August and December. During these months, only one meeting is held on the second Tuesday of the month. These meetings are broadcast live on JCCTV Channel 48.
Work Sessions
The Board of Supervisors also holds Work Sessions beginning at 4 p.m. prior to the regular meetings which occur on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Public comment is not received during a work session meeting, but they may be viewed from the Building F Board Room or on JCCTV Channel 48. During the month of April, the Board holds several Budget Work Sessions, so no work session is held prior to the 7 p.m. regular meeting on the fourth Tuesday. During the months of August and December, no work sessions are scheduled.
Presentations For Open Session
The 2009 James City County Board of Supervisors has initiated a new opportunity in which the public can address the Board. On the fourth Tuesday of each month, except in August and December, the Board will hold an Open Session from 3-4 pm in the Board of Supervisors Work Session Room, 101-F Mounts Bay Road. The purpose of this Open Session is to allow citizens or organizations an opportunity to speak if they feel it is not possible to fully present an issue during the three minute Public Comment period at a regular Board meeting.
Individuals or organizations wishing to make a presentation during the Open Session should submit a request to the County Administrator’s Office no more than 30 days in advance of the meeting. Requests will be scheduled on a first come-first served basis. The County Administrator will review the applications and contact the applicants to let them know when they will be scheduled to address the Board.
In order to speak during Open Session, an individual must be a James City County resident or landowner or conduct business in the County.
A citizen or organization can only speak during one Open Session period per year through December 2009. Presentations during Open Session are limited to 15 minutes. Any handouts or audio-visual materials for the Open Session should be submitted to the County Administrator’s Office one week prior to the Open Session. Please note that while the Open Session is a public meeting of the Board and will be televised, it is possible that not all Board of Supervisors members will be able to attend each session.
Additional meetings may be scheduled and announced as needed.
Citizen Participation
During the Board of Supervisors meetings, there are normally two types of opportunities for citizen participation. First, there are two public comment segments during the meeting – one at the beginning, and one near the end. During this time, any member of the public can speak for up to three (3) minutes on any topic that is germane to the public body and is not subject to a public hearing that evening.
Second, there are Public Hearings advertised for specific cases, such as ordinance amendments or certain land use cases. Following the staff report of each of these hearings, the public is invited to speak to these subjects for up to five (5) minutes as an individual or up to fifteen (15) minutes as a representative of a group (such as a business, firm, or association).
Rules for Participation
The Board of Supervisors regular meetings begin at 7 p.m. and work session meetings begin at 4 p.m.
The Chairman will call the meeting to order promptly at the designated time and move through the agenda for the meeting accordingly. This is a business meeting and the public is asked to observe quietly. Please turn off your cell phones and other electronic devices that may interrupt the meeting. If you require assistance to participate in the meeting, please contact the Secretary to the Board.
Citizens who wish to speak will be called to the podium during the Public Comment and Public Hearing segments of the meeting. If you would like to speak, please complete a speaker card located at the back of the room prior to the start of the meeting and give it to the Secretary to the Board. Your name will be called by the Chairman when it is your turn to speak.
When speaking during the Public Comment or Public Hearing segments, state your name and address for the public record. The maximum speaking time for Public Comment is three (3) minutes. The maximum speaking time for Public Hearings is five (5) minutes for an individual or fifteen (15) minutes for a representative of a group. Please observe these time limits when speaking.
If you have written materials you would like to provide the Board, please give them to the Secretary to the Board prior to the meeting.
If you have any kind of electronic presentation, please contact the Secretary to the Board prior to the meeting date. These materials must be reviewed for content and for the ability to be viewed on television.
The Board does not engage in dialogue with speakers or answer questions from the dais during the Public Comment or Public Hearings periods. If there is a question, the Board may address it at a later time in the meeting.
Persons requiring an accommodation in order to particiate in the meetings should call 253-6728, County Administration, three days prior to the meetings.