The following rules should govern the Board and its regulations.
(A) The Board shall convene promptly at the hour fixed for meetings and during the session members of the board shall not receive phone calls, emails, text messaging or similar electronic communication.
(B) The President may place an item on the agenda of a meeting. All such requests for placing an item on the agenda shall as far as possible be reduced to writing and be filed with the Clerk. The President may consider recommended items for the agenda of a meeting from any Trustee, though he or she is not bound to reduce these recommendations into written requests to the Clerk. A member of the public shall have no right to place any item on the agenda of the Board meeting. Public concerns must be addressed to the Department Chairperson, whose duties include the subject of the citizen concern.
(C) All bills, invoices, claims and payroll items shall first be approved by the Chairperson originating the item and the Chairperson of Accounts and Finance before they are submitted to the Board for vote. The Board by separate ordinance may provide for continuing authority to the Treasurer to pay certain items which are reoccurring expenses provided that the monthly report to the Board includes disclosure of all items paid under these continuing ordinances.
(D) The following shall be the order of business at Board meetings as a general policy. The President shall have the authority to deviate from this policy as he or she deems appropriate given time restraints and the importance of matters to be discussed:
(1) Role call;
(2) Approval of the minutes;
(3) Department reports;
(4) Public address to the Board;
(5) Tabled items;
(6) New business, items on the agenda which require a vote;
(7) New business items for discussion of further consideration at future meetings; and
(8) Adjournment.
(E) Four members of the corporate authorities then serving shall constitute a quorum. The affirmative vote of the majority of those present for any meeting provided there is a quorum shall be necessary to adopted any motion, resolution or ordinance unless a greater number is required by law.
(F) For each vote, the Clerk shall call the role of each member entitled to vote and he or she shall state out loud whether they vote yes, no or abstain. The Clerk shall record the vote by each member.
(G) The President shall preside over the Board at all meetings. In the event the President is unable to attend, then the members present may designate a President Pro Tem to preside over the meeting.
(H) The President shall not vote on any measure, motion, resolution or ordinance except:
(1) Where the vote is a tie;
(2) Where half of the Trustees vote in favor of an item and there is not a tie vote; and
(3) Where a vote greater than a majority of the corporate authorities then serving is required by law to pass an item.
(I) All resolutions, and motions that create any liability against the village, provide for the expenditure or appropriation of its money, or to sell any village property, and all ordinances, are subject to the veto of the President. The President shall reduce his or her veto to writing along with his or her written explanation of the basis of the veto. The President may veto one or more sums set forth in an ordinance and the remainder shall become effective. If the President disapproves of an entire ordinance, resolution or motion, then at the next regular or special meeting, which may not occur sooner than five days after the passage of the ordinance, the veto may be reconsidered by the Board of Trustees. If two-thirds of all trustees then holding office vote in favor to pass the ordinance, resolution or motion contrary to the President’s veto then it shall become effective.
(J) Every resolution and ordinance passed by the Board, which the President approves, must be signed by the President. Every ordinance must be recorded in the ordinance book.
(K) (1) The following procedures shall be followed when an item is on the agenda and submitted and to be considered by the Board for a vote:
(a) The President shall call for a motion to approve the item;
(b) The President shall call for a second for the item;
(c) If the item is moved and seconded then and only then should the President call for discussion. The President shall allow the Board to discuss an item until all opinions and thoughts have been expressed, but upon motion of any Board member and second the President may call for a vote to terminate discussion; and
(d) At the completion of the discussion, the President shall direct the Clerk to conduct a role call vote. The Clerk shall announce the results of the vote and whether or not the measure passed.
(2) Robert’s Rules of Orders shall guide the procedures used by the Board during its meetings. The Board shall provide for a parliamentarian and in the absence of one being designated by the Board then the Village Attorney shall act as parliamentarian. The rules of procedure may be temporarily altered, amended or suspended at any time by a vote of the Board including the President.
(L) The President shall appoint such special committees as he or she deems necessary or as may be directed by the Board.
(M) The Board shall vote on requests for expenditures by the department heads on an individual basis if the expenditure is a non-reoccurring expenditure. The Board may vote by the use of a consent agenda for routine reoccurring expenses. The consent agenda will simply be a single item on the agenda which will call for the approval or disapproval of all listed invoices which have been or need to be paid. If any trustee or the President requests that a particular invoice be removed from the consent agenda items then it will be so removed. The remainder of the bills to be paid shall be voted on as a single item. Any item removed from the consent agenda shall be considered separately.
(N) Section 2.05 of the Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120/2.05) provides that any person may record a public meeting “by tape, film or other means”. The section also provides that “[t]he authority holding the meeting shall prescribe reasonable rules to govern the right to make such recordings.” Pursuant to this Act, the village has adopted the following rules.
(1) Audio recording devices will be allowed to be placed on the tables before the meeting begins. Once the meeting is called to order the devices must remain undisturbed until the meeting is adjourned or recessed. Audio recording devices will record only the speaker’s voice and whatever amplification or public address system the Board chooses to use. Devices besides those solely designed to record the proceedings will not be allowed.
(2) Video recording devices will be allowed from the back row of seats only. All video recorders and cameras will use only the ambient lighting provided. Auxiliary lighting and flash photograph will not be permitted. Devices besides those solely designed to record the proceedings will not be allowed. Statutes (735 ILCS 5/8-701) expressly allow witnesses who are giving testimony to request that video cameras be turned off during their testimony. If a witness requests his or her testimony not be visually recorded the operator of the video camera will turn off his or her recording device for the duration of the testimony.
(1975 Code, § 2-104) (Ord. 11-2, passed 1-18-2011; Ord. 2022-12-21E, passed 12-21-2022)