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AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 1, CHAPTER 5, SECTION 8 OF THE ORLAND PARK VILLAGE CODE REGARDING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT MEETINGS OF THE VILLAGE BOARD AND ANY OF ITS COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS AND ADVISORY BOARDS
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WHEREAS, the Village President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Orland Park (the “Village”) have the authority to adopt ordinances and to promulgate rules and regulations that pertain to its government and affairs; and
WHEREAS, the Village President and Board of Trustees welcome public comment and public participation at meetings of the Committee of the Whole of the Village Board and at regular meetings of the Board of Trustees, and it will hear any interested individual pursuant to the rules set forth herein; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary and appropriate that there be rules in place to govern meeting decorum and procedure and to provide for respectful public comment at public meetings of the Committee of the Whole of the Village Board and at regular meetings of the Board of Trustees so that there is opportunity for all attendees to have their views known while permitting the Village Board to conduct its meetings in an efficient and effective manner; and
WHEREAS, meetings are formal gatherings where important decisions are made. Without rules, there is a risk of chaos, disruptions, and inappropriate behavior, which can undermine the effectiveness of the meeting and hinder productive discussions. Rules on public comment help maintain order and civility, fostering an environment where everyone feels respected and heard; and
WHEREAS, meetings often have packed agendas with limited time available. By implementing rules such as time limits for individual comments and overall comment periods, meetings can progress more efficiently, allowing for all agenda items to be addressed within the allocated time frame. This ensures that important matters are discussed thoroughly while preventing meetings from running excessively long; and
WHEREAS, with rules in place, there's a fair and transparent process for public participation. Everyone has an equal opportunity to speak within the allocated time limits, and the rules help prevent certain individuals or groups from monopolizing the discussion. Additionally, guidelines on relevance ensure that comments are focused on matters directly related to the agenda and Village business promoting constructive dialogue and preventing irrelevant tangents; and
WHEREAS, rules for conduct during public comment periods establish expectations for respectful behavior. Prohibiting inappropriate language, personal attacks, or disruptive behavior helps create a safe and inclusive environment for all attendees. It also gives the Village President or Chair the authority to address any breaches of conduct promptly, maintaining order and ensuring that the meeting proceeds smoothly; and
WHEREAS, overall, rules for public comment periods are essential for fostering an environment conducive to meaningful dialogue, respectful interaction, and effective decision-making within the framework of organized meetings.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Orland Park, Cook and Will Counties, Illinois, a home rule municipal corporation, as follows:
SECTION 1
The above recitals are incorporated herein by reference as though fully set forth herein.
SECTION 2
Title 1, Chapter 5, Section 8(9) is amended in its entirety to provide as follows:
“(9) The Board of Trustees of the Village of Orland Park welcomes public participation and will hear any interested individual pursuant to the following rules. Before appearing before the Board, the members of the public are urged to seek solutions to their concerns through administrative channels. If there are no members of the public wishing to address the Board, the Board may continue with its meeting.
The following rules shall govern speakers who address the Board:
1. There shall be two (2) periods of time not to exceed thirty (30) minutes each, which shall be allocated to public comment at the regular meetings of the Board of Trustees, and two (2) periods of time not to exceed fifteen (15) minutes each, which shall be allocated to public comment at meetings of the Committee of the Whole, unless the public officials, by a majority vote at the meeting, agree to allow the public comment period to exceed the time allocated for public comment at that particular meeting.
2. The first public comment period at the Committee of the Whole and at the regular meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be limited to only comments on topics relevant to a particular agenda item for that meeting. Public comments at the second public comment period of the Committee of the Whole and at the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees shall be entertained on items relevant to Village business. Issues relevant to Village business are defined to mean information about Village events; issues that the public body has the authority to address; items listed on the agenda; and items or issues previously voted on by the public body or that the public body has the authority to consider or vote on in the future. Speakers at special meetings shall limit their topics and comments to matters appearing on the special meeting agenda only.
3. Each individual wishing to address the Village Board during a public comment period at the Committee of the Whole and at the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees will be allocated a maximum of three (3) minutes per person, per public comment period session, per meeting. The public officials may, by a majority vote at the meeting, agree to allow the per person public comment session to exceed three (3) minutes for a particular topic or a particular meeting. No speaker may assign his/her time to another speaker.
4. The Public comment period is established for members of the public who physically attend the Committee of the Whole and the Board of Trustees meetings. The public comment period is not available to individuals who wish to address the Committee of the Whole or Board of Trustees by remote means, including telephone, video conferencing or other electronic means. Members of the public who do not attend meetings in person are welcome to submit comments to the Committee of the Whole or the Board of Trustees by other means, including mail or e-mail. Each person who desires to speak to the Committee of the Whole or the Board of Trustees at a public meeting shall sign in with the Village Clerk prior to the start of the meeting and provide their name and topic(s) on which they wish to speak.
5. The Village President or person presiding over the meeting will determine the order in which the speakers are recognized. Each person shall state their name, and, by option of the speaker, the speaker’s address, before commenting.
6. Each person may provide pre-prepared copies of his or her public comments to the Committee of the Whole or the Board of Trustees prior to, during or after his or her public comment session.
7. Only one (1) person may speak at a time during any public comment period, and no person shall speak until recognized for such purpose by the Village President or Chair. All persons wishing to address the Committee of the Whole or the Board of Trustees shall do so from the podium. Statements shall not be made from the audience.
8. A group of three (3) or more individuals speaking on the same topic are asked to designate a single spokesperson to present the group’s public comments.
9. Members of the Committee of the Whole or the Board of Trustees will not respond to the public comments at the public meeting, unless directed by the Village President or Chair. The Village President or Chair, or his/her designee, may respond to the public comments, as he or she deems appropriate, and may direct the person to the appropriate Village official or staff member for assistance.
10. Repetitive comments or arguments are not permitted.
11. Abusive, foul, obscene, threatening, disorderly or other inappropriate language or conduct and/or personal attacks are not permitted.
12. The Village President or Chair has the authority to terminate the public comment session of any person who fails to adhere to these rules. Any person who disrupts the public body form being able to conduct its business during the public meeting may be subject to removal from the meeting room.
13. Individuals addressing the public body must at all times adhere to the Village policies and other rules as may be necessary for the efficient and orderly conduct of the meeting.
All public comments shall be addressed to the Committee of the Whole and the Board of Trustees as a whole and no comments shall be addressed to individual members of the Committee of the Whole or the Board of Trustees, Village staff or other members of the public.
There shall be no debate on any matters raised during public comment. The Board may, however, refer any matter of public comment to the Village Manager, Village staff, an appropriate agency for review, or may place the matter on a subsequent agenda for discussion.
No final action may be taken during a meeting on any public comment or concern which requires an ordinance, resolution, or written contract, or which has the effect of approving any expenditure of funds unless it is already on the agenda. The Board may, however, direct that any matter raised on these subjects be set for a future agenda, including the preparation of ordinances, resolutions or other documents for consideration at such time.”
SECTION 3
If any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Ordinance shall be held invalid, the invalidity thereof shall not affect any of the other provisions of this Ordinance. All ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict.
SECTION 4
This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its adoption and publication in pamphlet form as provided by law.