(A) Right to speak. The Illinois Open Meetings Act, ILCS Ch. 5, Act 120, § 2.06(g) provides that "Any person shall be permitted an opportunity to address public officials under the rules established and recorded by the public body."
(B) Public comment.
(1) Persons desiring to address the Board or Trustees ("Board") will do so during the public comment period on the agenda of the Board Meeting. At least 15 minutes will be allowed at each meeting for public comment(s). Public comments at other times during the meeting will be permitted solely at the discretion of the Board.
(2) Participation procedure.
(a) Persons wishing to speak may do so only after being recognized for that purpose by the Village President.
(b) Only one person may address the Board at a time.
(c) No more than five persons shall be permitted to speak at any given meeting.
(d) A signup sheet shall be prominently displayed on the speaker's platform prior to the meeting.
(e) The Board may, without creating precedent and in its sole discretion, expand the numbers of those permitted to speak, at any given meeting.
(3) Public participation.
(a) Persons addressing the Board shall identify themselves for the record, and for the Board and members of the public also attending the meeting.
(b) Persons addressing the Board will offer all comments in a courteous and professional manner, and refrain from use of inappropriate, offensive or profane language.
(c) Persons addressing the Board may comment on issues of public interest relating to the operations of the village; the Board will not respond nor engage in debate or discussion relating to comments offered or made. The public comment period is intended to afford members of the public with an opportunity to express their views to the respective board. The Board will generally take comments made to it by speakers under advisement.
(d) Residents of the village addressing the Board will be limited to a period of no more than three minutes for comments, unless additional time is granted by the Chairperson; after which they will return to their seat in an orderly, quiet and non-disruptive manner.
(e) Non-residents of the village addressing the Board will be limited to a period no more than one minute for comments, unless additional time is granted by the Chairperson; after which they will return to their seat in an orderly, quiet and non-disruptive manner.
(f) The granting of additional time to one or more persons or on one or more occasions does not entitle other persons at that meeting or any other meetings to have additional time to address the Board.
(g) Persons addressing the Board should refrain from offering repetitive or duplicative comments which offer no new information or perspective and which otherwise impede progress of the stated and published purpose of the meeting. Such comments may be limited at the sole discretion of the Board.
(h) No person shall be permitted to address the same topic more than once within a three- month period unless otherwise permitted by the Board.
(C) Misconduct.
(1) All persons addressing the Board must do so in a civil and appropriate manner. Rude or abusive behavior will not be condoned. Comments that are defamatory, disparaging, or otherwise constitute an unwarranted invasion of privacy will not be allowed. Persons in violation of the foregoing will be directed by the Chair of the meeting to leave the meeting.
(2) Persons addressing the Board will refrain from comments, gestures, or other verbal or non-verbal communications when not recognized to offer public comment. The Chairperson is charged with enforcing orderly decorum at meetings to enable effective and efficient consideration by the Board of the stated and published purpose of the meeting; to that end the Chairperson will request person(s) causing disruptive conduct to cease such conduct.
(3) In the event public comment or behavior at the meeting becomes disruptive to the Board's effective and efficient conduct of the meeting, the Chairperson may recess the meeting until such time that conditions are conducive to resume conduct of the business of the public body. If the disturbance is particularly egregious, the Chairperson may recess the meeting to reconvene at a designated time, date and place. The proposition by the Chairperson to recess or to recess and reconvene at a later time, date and place shall be approved by the Board. If taken, the decision to recess shall be recorded in the minutes, along with the vote of the Board and a statement as to the cause of the disruption necessitating the recess.
(Ord. 17-17, passed 6-14-17)