Take public comment beyond the confines of the meeting chamber.

What is eComment?

This online feature enables constituents to select an upcoming agenda item, indicate position and submit written comment. Seamless integration into Granicus MediaManager provides the benefits of community outreach without expanding your current workload.

Community Participation with an Automated Workflow

Join the Online Communication Culture
Online communication is no longer the future; it is a central component of your constituency’s daily life. Finding the appropriate way to connect with this shifting culture can be challenging. Solutions borrowed from the consumer market are often too cumbersome and time consuming for the public meeting process. eComment meets this challenge by working within the current government process, instead of circumventing it.

Inclusive and Productive Participation
eComment is an interactive tool that stimulates participation from constituents who are unlikely, or unable, to attend a meeting in person. Many of our most valued constituents are also our busiest. By removing barriers of entry, eComment provides individuals with limited time an opportunity for effective participation.

Quickly Gauge Public Opinion
Controversial agenda items often generate an unwieldy amount of commentary, making it difficult for an elected official to quickly assess public opinion and key points. eComment provides easy review of the public’s position (support, oppose, neutral) and comments.

Automate Your Workflow
Constituents may skip the traditional step of meeting attendance by accessing the eComment feature directly from your website before the meeting. As eComments are entered by the public, they automatically appear in MediaManager. The Insert eComments in Minutes button adds comments to your minutes without typing a single word.

Go Green
eComment reduces fuel emissions, traffic congestion, parking and other environmental side effects associated with travel to public meetings.

Quick Deployment
Seamless MediaManager integration translates into an almost instant deployment for existing Granicus customers.

For more information, please download the eComment Datasheet.

Constituents access the eComment form directly from your View Pages and agendas.

How eComment Works

One-Time Setup
Create a Template
Constituents submit eComments using a simple online form. Use eComment Form Designer in MediaManager to configure the template to your needs.

Choose Event(s)
Each meeting body has its own specific needs. eComment provides you with flexible options: enable the feature for all public meetings, a particular re-occurring meeting, or just one meeting. The eComment feature will be available to the public from the moment the agenda is published until the cutoff time selected.

Select eComment Link Location
The public may access the eComment feature from your published agenda or view page.

Submitting an eComment
From Your Website
When the meeting’s agenda is published, an eComment link appears next to the agenda link on your view page. The eComment link may also be found in the top right-hand corner of the published agenda.

Complete the Form
Clicking the link brings the constituent to the Public eComment Form, where the individual will be guided through three easy steps: Your Details, Select Agenda Item, and Comment. Based on your preferences, the Comment section may also prompt the constituent to indicate whether he or she supports, opposes or is neutral on the agenda item in question.

Managing eComments
Real-time Review
eComments may be viewed in MediaManager as they are submitted by the public. At any time before or after the meeting, inappropriate eComments may be edited or deleted in accordance with your organization’s standards.

Reporting on eComments
Reports are created for elected officials or staff with a simple export to a spreadsheet or PDF before or after the meeting.

Insert eComments in Minutes
Public eComments are added to your minutes as an agenda item with the simple click of a button.

Complimentary Products & Licensing
The following Granicus products and services are a prerequisite for eComment. These standard products are used by a majority of Granicus clients: Granicus MediaManager, public view page, and agenda parser or manual input of agenda items into MediaManager. eComment is currently offered as a single license that may be used for all meeting bodies.