A. Regular Council Meetings: The regular meetings of the city council shall be held at the council chambers on the second and fourth Monday evenings of each month in the year. The time of holding said meetings shall be five thirty o’clock (5:30) P.M.; provided, however, that if any such regular meeting falls upon any holiday, recognized as such by either the laws of the United States or the laws of the state of Illinois, then said regular meeting so falling on said holiday shall be held the day following at the time and place aforesaid.
B. Public Participation:
1. Comments Invited: Comments from the public shall be invited at each city council meeting. At the close of each council meeting, or at such time as deemed appropriate by the mayor or other person presiding at the meeting shall ask for and permit comments on any subject. All state laws and city ordinances relating to open meetings, and to posting and filing copies of the agenda, shall be complied with.
2. Disruptions Prohibited: Nothing herein shall permit any person or group to disrupt any meeting of the city council. Any person disrupting any meeting shall be advised by the mayor or person presiding at the meeting, or any police officer to cease the disruption. If the person fails to cease the disruption, the person may be ejected from the meeting, and any person so disrupting a meeting shall be fined not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00) for each offense.
3. Vulgar And Slanderous Remarks: Nothing herein shall permit any person or group to disparage the mayor or members of the city council or to engage in vulgar or slanderous remarks. Any person engaging in such activity will be required to end their comments. In the event that any person or group shall refuse to cease making such remarks shall be fined not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00) for each offense. (Ord. 3128, 10-14-2013)
4. Time Limits: Persons desiring to speak at a meeting of the city council, shall obtain recognition by the mayor or person presiding at the meeting of the city council before speaking. Unless otherwise allowed by a majority of the members of the city council present or by the mayor, no person shall speak to the city council for more than five (5) minutes. No group or organization may collectively speak to a meeting of the city council for more than thirty (30) minutes nor shall any one member thereof speak for more than five (5) minutes.
5. City Officers And Employees: Nothing in this section shall prohibit any member of the city council from speaking at any time and at any length, subject to rules of order, and nothing herein shall prohibit any city officer or employee from asking for recognition and making a comment or suggestion at any time during the city council proceedings. (1977 Code § 2.04.010; amd. 2013 Code; Ord. 3128, 10-14-2013; Ord. 3134, 11-25-2013; Ord. 3634, 7-27-2020)