Village of Coal City, IL Public Comment Policy

Pursuant to and in accordance with Section 2.06(g) of the Illinois Open Meetings Act ("OMA"),[1] 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.

[1]

Editor's Note: See 5 ILCS 120/2.06(g).

§ 37-61 Public comment permitted.

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 Unless otherwise superseded by a more specific protocol or procedure adopted by an individual public body, the public comment period shall be near the beginning of the meeting.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.

§ 37-62 Time limitations.

It shall be the policy of the Village that any person may address the public body at its regular and special meetings under the public comment agenda item. Public comment shall be limited to three minutes per speaker. The three-minute time limit shall apply unless the President or Chairperson of the public body ("Presiding Officer") may designate additional or lesser time limits for individual public comment at a meeting, subject to the approval of a majority of the Trustees or members of the public body ("members") then present. The Presiding Officer shall recognize and allow to speak any person desiring to speak on a first-recognized, first-served basis.

The total amount of time allocated for public comment at any meeting of the public body shall not exceed 30 minutes, unless determined otherwise by the Presiding Officer. In the event that all persons desiring to speak during the public comment period are not able to do so within the time limit allowed, the Presiding Officer shall have the option (but not the obligation) of extending the time allocated for public comment, subject to the approval of a majority of the members then present either at the point designated on the agenda, or at such later point on the agenda as the Presiding Officer shall otherwise determine.

If a person desires to speak during the public comment period about a matter that is the subject of a specific agenda item at the same meeting, the Presiding Officer may require that person to speak about the matter during the discussion of the agenda item instead of during the general public comment period. If no public comment will be allowed during the discussion of the specific agenda item, then the person will be allowed to speak about the matter during the general public comment period.

§ 37-63 Number of speakers.

If numerous persons wish to speak on a single topic, said persons shall be recognized, but the Presiding Officer may reasonably restrict repeated comments.

§ 37-64 Conduct.

All questions or statements by a speaker must be directed to the Presiding Officer and the members. All others will be ruled out of order by the Presiding Officer.

All comments must be civil in nature. Any person who engages in threatening, slanderous or disorderly behavior or acts designed to intimidate, threaten or harm persons or damage or destroy property, or who interrupts other speakers, uses profanity, or speaks out of turn or otherwise disrupts the meeting of the public body shall be deemed out of order by the Presiding Officer.

Members of the audience shall refrain from applauding, cheering or making derogatory remarks during, or at the conclusion of, remarks made by any speaker, including members of the public body, staff, or the public.

No person shall interrupt the proceedings of a public body or cause any other form of disturbance or disruption.

§ 37-65 Responses.

Members of the public body may, but need not, respond to public comments or questions.

§ 37-66 Written submissions.

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.

§ 37-67 Additional rules.

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.

§ 37-68 Enforcement.

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:

End the person's time for addressing the public body;

Ask the public body for a motion to recess the meeting to a certain time and date;

Cause the removal of the person from the premises of the meeting, after consulting with the Village Attorney.