Will County board members debate moving public comment to start of committee agendas

Several Will County Board members and committee chairs discussed changing committee procedures so public comment on agenda items could appear at the start of committee meetings, a move supporters said would reduce repeated motions to suspend the rules.

At the Sept. 11 Executive Committee meeting, Member Freeman said he was concerned about frequent requests to suspend rules to accommodate speakers. Member Trenier and others argued that placing public comment for agenda items at the beginning of committee meetings would reduce the need for suspending rules and make meetings more efficient. Member O'Gala noted committee chairs have wide discretion in running committee agendas and said beginning-of-meeting public comment for agenda items could be concise while leaving general public comment at the end.

Chair Butler and other members explained that unanimous consent (if no one objects) is a common meeting practice that can avoid a formal motion to suspend rules; Butler said he had used that practice to expedite a public-health-and-safety agenda earlier in the month. The county's chief of staff said he and staff will consult the state's attorney about possible policy options and return with recommendations about chair authority, time limits and whether to permit one or two comment periods. Several members asked that any procedural change preserve limits (for example, single three-minute remarks) to prevent lengthy public testimony from derailing committee business.

No formal rule change was adopted at the meeting; the chief of staff will present options after consulting legal staff.