OAK LAWN PUBLIC LIBRARY
BOARD POLICY
Public Comment at Board Meetings
The Trustees of the Oak Lawn Public Library welcome public participation and will hear any interested individual pursuant to the guidelines outlined in this policy. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that interested individuals are allowed time to address the Board while permitting the Board to conduct its meeting in an efficient and effective manner.
Therefore, at the beginning of each regular meeting, a period of time up to 30 minutes will be devoted to concerns presented by the public. If there are no members of the public wishing to address the Board, the Board will continue with its meeting. Before appearing before the Board, members of the public are urged to seek solutions to their concerns through Library administration.
The following rules shall govern public comment:
- Members of the public will not be allowed to discuss individual personnel issues or confidential patron matters, and the speakers’ concerns or comments should be limited to Library business. No public comments shall be heard on behalf of or opposed to a candidate for public office, nor on any matter that may be subject to discussion by the Board of Library Trustees in closed/executive session in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.
- Public participation and comment will be permitted during the “Communications Citizen/Staff Comments” portion of the Agenda.
- The Board President or presiding Trustee will ask if anyone wishes to address the Board and will determine the order in which the speakers are recognized.
- The time allowed for each person to speak will be five minutes. Speakers are asked to strictly adhere to the time allocated.
- Speakers are asked, not required, to identify themselves, topic(s) and group affiliations, if any, before speaking.
- Speakers may provide written copies of their concern(s) to the Board. Requests to append written statements or correspondence to the meeting minutes will not be favored as meeting minutes are a summary of the Board’s discussion and actions.
- Groups are asked to designate a single spokesperson.
- Board response to public comment is not required.
- Abusive, profane, frivolous, harassing and/or repetitive comments and/or personal attacks will not be permitted and shall promptly be ruled out of order by the President or presiding Trustee. Per the Library’s Rules of Conduct policy, speakers unable to act in a respectful manner may be asked to leave the premises.
- The established overall 30 minute time limit and/or five minute maximum per speaker may be extended upon a majority vote of the Board.
The Board vests in the Board President or presiding Trustee, the authority to terminate the remarks of speakers who fail to adhere to this policy.
No final action may be taken on any public comment or concern which requires a resolution, or written contract, or which has the effect of approving any expenditure of funds. There shall be no debate on any matters raised during public comment. The Board may refer any matter of public comment to the Library Director, or may place the matter on a subsequent agenda for discussion.
Adopted: 02/15/11
Revised: 01/20/15
Revised: 02/16/16