Pursuant to and in accordance with Section 2.06(g) of the Illinois
Open Meetings Act ("OMA"), the Village Board and all subsidiary public bodies of the Village will hold a public comment period, providing any person an opportunity to address public officials in accordance with the rules set forth in this Article
XIII. This article is intended to promote the orderly conduct of meetings and ensure fairness to those who wish to address the public body. The rules in this article apply to all public bodies in the Village, including, without limitation, the Village Board and all subsidiary boards, advisory boards, committees and subcommittees (cumulatively, "public bodies"). Public hearings required by state statute shall be conducted in accordance with state statute and adopted rules and procedures applicable to public hearings. All persons offering testimony at a public hearing shall testify under oath. Public hearings are not part of the public comment period of a meeting and are not subject to the public comment policy, rules and procedures set forth in this Article
XIII.
Public comment shall be listed on each agenda for every regular
and special meeting of all public bodies. Unless otherwise superseded
by a more specific protocol or procedure adopted by an individual
public body, the public comment period shall be near the beginning
of the meeting. All persons shall be allowed to address the public
body as set forth in this article.
If numerous persons wish to speak on a single topic, said persons
shall be recognized, but the Presiding Officer may reasonably restrict
repeated comments.
Members of the public body may, but need not, respond to public
comments or questions.
Any person shall have the right at any time to provide written
comments to any public body or any other Village official by addressing
those comments via mail or personal delivery to Village Hall at 515
S. Broadway Street, Coal City, Illinois 60416.
The Presiding Officer and members have authority to determine
procedural matters regarding public participation not otherwise defined
in this policy and not inconsistent with this policy.
Speakers must comply with these rules in order to encourage
full, efficient and orderly public participation at meetings of public
bodies. When a person fails to comply with these rules, the Presiding
Officer may:
A. End the
person's time for addressing the public body;
B. Ask the
public body for a motion to recess the meeting to a certain time and
date;
C. Cause the
removal of the person from the premises of the meeting, after consulting
with the Village Attorney.