No person shall disturb any regular or special meeting of the
Village Board or of any committee thereof or behave in a disorderly
manner at any meeting.
[Added 2-12-2007 by Ord. No. 07-01]
A. Rules statement. It is the decision of the Village that any member
of the Board of Trustees may attend any open or closed meeting of
the Village Board via electronic means (such as by telephone, video
or internet connection), provided that such attendance is in compliance
with these rules and any applicable laws.
B. Prerequisites. A member of the Board may attend a meeting electronically
if the member meets the following conditions:
(1) The member should notify the Clerk at least 48 hours before the meeting,
unless impractical, so that necessary communications equipment can
be arranged. Inability to make the necessary technical arrangements
will result in denial of a request for remote attendance.
(2) The member must assert one of the following three reasons why he
or she is unable to physically attend the meeting:
(a)
The member cannot attend because of personal illness or disability;
(b)
The member cannot attend because of employment purposes or the
business of the Village; or
(c)
The member cannot attend because of a family or other emergency.
C. Authorization to participate.
(1) The Clerk, after receiving the electronic attendance request, shall
inform the Board of the request for electronic attendance.
(2) After establishing that a quorum is physically present at a meeting
where a member of the Board desires to attend electronically, the
presiding officer shall state that a notice was received by the Clerk
in accordance with these rules, and the member will be deemed authorized
to attend the meeting electronically unless a motion objecting to
the member's electronic attendance is made, seconded, and approved
by 2/3 of the members of the Board physically present at the meeting.
If no such motion is made and seconded or if any such motion fails
to achieve the required vote by the members of the Board physically
present at the meeting, then the request by the member to attend the
meeting electronically shall be deemed approved by the Board and the
presiding officer shall declare the requesting member present. After
such declaration by the presiding officer, the question of a member's
electronic attendance may not be reconsidered.
D. Adequate equipment required. The member participating electronically
and other members of the Board must be able to communicate effectively,
and members of the audience must be able to hear all communications
at the meeting site. Before allowing electronic attendance at any
meeting, the Board shall provide equipment adequate to accomplish
this objective at the meeting site.
E. Minutes. Any member attending electronically shall be considered
an off-site attendee and counted as present electronically for that
meeting if the member is allowed to attend. The meeting minutes shall
also reflect and state specifically whether each member is physically
present or present by electronic means.
F. Rights of remote member. A member permitted to attend electronically
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 member attending electronically shall
be heard, considered, and counted as to any vote taken. Accordingly,
the name of any member attending electronically shall be called during
any vote taken, and his or her vote counted and recorded by the Clerk
and placed in the minutes for the corresponding meeting. A member
attending electronically 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. Committees, boards and commissions. Unless otherwise provided, these
rules shall not apply to any committees, boards and commissions established
by authority of the Village.