C. Can a public body limit comment?

Whenever a citizen has a statutory right to participate in a meeting, the agency can establish local rules regarding comments, as long as the citizen has a reasonable opportunity to participate. See Ark. Op. Att’y Gen. No. 93-299. For example, an agency can limit participation to only a specific time period during the meeting. Ark. Op. Att’y Gen. No. 93-052. An agency would violate the FOIA if the circumstances for public participation would allow for only “uninformed comments.” Ark. Op. Att’y Gen. No. 95-230 (discussing complex contracts made with private contractors).