(A) All meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be open to the public subject to limitations provided by ordinance.
(Prior Code, § 30.27)
(B) (1) The recitals in the ordinance codified herein shall be, and are hereby, incorporated herein as if fully set forth within this division (B)(1).
(2) The following rules shall apply to public participation at meetings of the Board of Trustees of the village (the “Board”).
(a) Public participation at Board meetings is encouraged. A period of time at each regular meeting of the Board shall be made available for public comments and shall be designated on each agenda as “COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.”
(b) A person shall be permitted to speak upon being recognized by the Chairperson. The person shall stand (if possible), state his or her name and address prior to making comments and limit speaking to no more than three minutes, unless additional time is granted by the Chairperson. Each person will be permitted to speak only once, unless additional opportunities are allowed by the Chairperson.
(c) All speakers shall address their comments to the Chairperson. The Chairperson may request that the appropriate member of the Board or staff respond to the comments.
(d) The Chairperson shall preserve order and decorum. The Chairperson shall decide all questions of order.
(e) When addressing the Board, Trustees, staff and other persons permitted to speak shall confine their remarks to the matter or matters at hand and avoid personal remarks, the impugning of motives and merely contentious statements. If any person indulges in such remarks or otherwise engages in conduct injurious to the harmony of the Board and the meeting, the Chairperson may immediately terminate such person’s opportunity to speak. This decision is at the discretion of the Chairperson or upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Board of Trustees present. Any person, except a member of the Board, who engages in disorderly conduct during a meeting may be ejected from the meeting upon motion passed by a majority of the Board present.
(f) After the termination of the “public comments” portion of the meeting, no person shall be allowed to address the Board, except in response to a specific request or question from the Board.
(3) The following shall be posted on the village’s website and posted by the door of the meeting:
CITIZENS’ GUIDE TO ADDRESSING THE VILLAGE BOARD Anyone wishing to speak under the agenda item entitled “COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC” shall adhere to the following rules and guidelines. 1. A person shall be permitted to speak upon being recognized by the Chairperson. Please stand (if possible), announce your name and address before commencing. All comments under “COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC” are limited to three minutes, unless additional time is granted by the Chairperson and each person shall be permitted to speak only once, unless additional opportunities are allowed by the Chairperson. 2. All speakers shall address their comments to the Chairperson. The Chairperson may request that the appropriate member of the Board or staff respond to the comment. 3. The Chairperson shall preserve order and decorum. The Chairperson shall decide all questions of order. 4. When addressing the Board, Trustees, staff and other persons permitted to speak shall confine their remarks to the matter at hand and avoid personal remarks, the impugning of motives and merely contentious statements. If any person indulges in such remarks or otherwise engages in conduct injurious to the harmony of the Board and the meeting, the Chairperson may immediately terminate the opportunity to speak. This decision is at the discretion of the Chairperson or upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Board of Trustees present. Any person, except a member of the Board, who engages in disorderly conduct during a meeting may be ejected from the meeting upon motion passed by a majority of the Board present. 5. After the termination of the “public comments” portion of the meeting, no person shall be allowed to address the Board except in response to a specific request or question from the Board. 6. Please do not repeat comments that have already been made by others. |
(Ord. 14-104, passed 4-7-2014)
Statutory reference:
Open Meetings Act, see 5 ILCS 120/1 et seq.