County legal counsel, the sheriff’s office and department heads discussed a growing number of so‑called First Amendment auditors and urged staff to adopt consistent, nonconfrontational procedures to reduce legal risk.

A county attorney (presenting) described a recently passed public law and growing litigation risks and said Illinois courts protect a citizen’s right to record public employees in public spaces. The attorney advised staff to avoid escalation when someone films in public areas and to call law enforcement only for conduct that crosses into trespass or harassment. “My suggestion would be, let them come in here and get their footage...if nobody's getting worked up about this and yelling and screaming, get out of here,” the attorney said. The sheriff’s representative and county staff said training or a short protocol would help staff respond consistently.

Health department staff reported they already use clearly marked staff‑only and patient‑only areas and have a local procedure after an auditor visit. County risk management and insurance options were discussed; staff asked whether the county’s insurance trust offers training modules similar to harassment or public‑records guidance. Committee members asked for a short, standard set of steps for front‑desk staff and department heads to reduce the chance an encounter results in a federal claim.

No ordinance or formal policy was adopted at the meeting. Staff were asked to gather sample procedures and possible training resources (including material provided by the Illinois County Risk Management Trust) and to return with recommended language for a single countywide protocol and training schedule.