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Riverwoods trustees approve 2025 personnel manual revisions after clarifying social‑media language
Summary
The board adopted the revised personnel manual recommended by counsel, including clarified language aimed at avoiding inadvertent Open Meetings Act violations on social media.
The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to adopt the 2025 revisions to the village personnel manual after clarifying a provision on elected officials’ use of private social media.
Village counsel said the revisions were based on legal guidance from the municipality’s insurance carrier counsel and reflected changes in employment law. Trustee Hollander raised concerns about a line that read, in the packet, that elected officials “should not engage with other members of their governing body in interactive discussions on matters of public policy when using private social media.”
Counsel and trustees agreed to clarify the language so it targets conduct that would violate the Illinois Open Meetings Act — for example, social‑media interactions that could accidentally create a quorum — and does not prohibit ordinary one‑on‑one trustee communication such as email correspondence. Trustee Dicken (transcript spelling: Dicken/Dickon) urged clearer wording so trustees understand that two‑person communications are not per se prohibited.
After the board signaled approval of the single clarifying revision, the board took a roll‑call vote and approved the resolution adopting the personnel manual revisions.
Why this matters: the change aims to reduce the village’s risk of inadvertent Open Meetings Act violations while preserving trustees’ ability to communicate one‑on‑one. The manual also incorporated counsel recommendations on employment‑law updates from the insurance carrier’s law firm.
The resolution passed on a roll‑call vote; the packet notes include the law firm’s suggested redlines and the board directed counsel to bring the clarified language back if further edits are requested.
