[Adopted 8-22-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-8]
The term "meetings" as applied to any City of Lexington public
body as defined in the Illinois Open Meetings Act shall include any gathering, whether in person or by video
or audio conference, telephone calls, electronic means (such as, without
limitation, electronic mail, electronic chat and instant messaging)
or other means of contemporary interactive communication, of a majority
of a quorum of the members of a public body, for the purpose of discussing
public business, or any other definition contained in the Illinois
Open Meetings Act as it may be amended.
Any member of a City of Lexington public body may attend and
participate in any meeting of such public body as defined in the Illinois
Open Meetings Act from a remote location via telephone, video or Internet
connection provided that such attendance and participation is in compliance
with the Remote Participation Policy set forth in this section and
any applicable laws.
A. Policy statement. It is the policy of the City of Lexington that
a member of any group associated with this unit of government which
is subject to the provisions of the Illinois Open Meetings Act (covered
group) may attend and participate in any open or closed meeting of
that covered group from a remote location via telephone, video or
Internet connection, provided that such attendance and participation
is in compliance with this policy and any other applicable laws.
B. Prerequisites. A member of the covered group of the City of Lexington
shall be provided the opportunity to attend an open and closed meeting
or only one of such meetings from a remote location if the member
meets the following conditions and a majority of the members present
of the covered body votes to approve the remote attendance.
(1) The member must notify the recording secretary or clerk of the covered
body at least 24 hours before the meeting unless advance notice is
impractical;
(2) The member must assert one of three reasons described herein why
he or she is unable to physically attend the meeting, including either:
1) that the member cannot attend because of personal illness or disability;
2) the member cannot attend because of employment purposes or the
business of the City of Lexington; or 3) the member cannot attend
because of a family or other emergency; and
(3) A quorum of the covered body must be physically present.
C. Voting procedures. After roll call, a vote for the covered body shall be taken, considering the prerequisites set forth in Subsection
B(2) above, on whether to allow an off-site board member to participate remotely. All of the members physically present are permitted to vote on whether remote participation will be allowed. A vote may be taken to permit remote participation for a stated series of meetings if the same reason applies to each case. Otherwise, a vote must be taken to allow each remote participation.
D. Quorum and vote required. A quorum must be established by members
physically present at any meeting before it can be considered whether
to allow a member to participate in the meeting remotely. A vote of
a majority of the members present shall be necessary to decide the
issue. For the meeting to continue, there shall always need to be
a quorum physically present.
E. Minutes. The member participating remotely shall be considered an
off-site participant and counted as present by means of video or audio
conference for that meeting if the member is allowed to participate.
The meeting minutes of the City of Lexington shall also reflect and
state specifically whether each member is physically present, present
by video, or present by audio means.
F. Rights of remote member. The member permitted to participate remotely
will be able to express his or her comments during the meeting and
participate in the same capacity as those members physically present,
subject to all general meeting guidelines and procedures previously
adopted and adhered to. The remote member shall be heard, considered,
and counted as to any vote taken. Accordingly, the name of any remote
member shall be called during any vote taken, and his or her vote
counted and recorded by the secretary and placed in the minutes for
the corresponding meeting. A member participating remotely may leave
a meeting and return as in the case of any member, provided the member
attending electronically shall announce his or her leaving and returning.
G. Closed meetings. A quorum of the City of Lexington's members
must be physically present at any closed meeting. Members participating
remotely shall otherwise be entitled to participate in closed meetings
by video or audio conference as provided above.
H. Costs. A member participating remotely via telephone shall be reimbursed
for the cost of the telephone call upon a valid receipt shown. Any
other costs associated with remote participation, including video
conferencing and other audio and video equipment, must be approved
by the City of Lexington.