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After extended debate, Campton Hills amends and adopts ordinance allowing electronic and facsimile signatures with new controls
Summary
Trustees adopted Ordinance 25-43 (amending section 3.17) to permit electronic and facsimile signatures but amended the text to require wet-signature safeguards, cite the Uniform Facsimile Signature Act (30 ILCS), and require officials to maintain exclusive control of facsimile signature devices and bar staff from applying signatures without explicit approval.
The Campton Hills Village Board voted to adopt Ordinance 25-43, amending village code section 3.17 to allow use of electronic and facsimile signatures for municipal documents — but only after trustees secured amendments requiring stronger internal controls.
Trustees raised concerns that the draft ordinance as written lacked adequate procedural safeguards and could jeopardize insurance coverage or create fraud risk if facsimile signatures were applied without strict controls. Trustee Therese (speaking from experience in insurance and as an attorney) urged that the village follow procedures that protect bonding and insurance coverage and that officials retain exclusive control of their facsimile signature devices.
Treasure/Finance Trustee Mike (Millette/Mallet in transcript) proposed changing language so that wet (manual) signature requirements and electronic/facsimile mechanisms work together; the board agreed to an amendment to replace an 'or' with an 'and' in the code’s signature sequence. An amendment was added to cite the Uniform Facsimile Signature of Public Officials Act (30 ILCS 330/1) and to add two sentences requiring that each official maintain exclusive control of any facsimile signature device, password, graphic or digital file, stamp or reproduction method, and that no staff member may apply any official's facsimile signature without that official's explicit approval for each check run.
The amendment passed by roll call and the amended ordinance was adopted. Trustees and staff agreed the Cassell/CassellSoft and MyViewPoint workflow updates (software named in the discussion) will be used to create approvals and audit trails; staff will also register facsimile signatures with the secretary of state or other required offices as needed.
Board action: amendment adopted by roll call; ordinance 25-43 as amended approved by roll call. The clerk will implement procedures (including registration and internal-control documentation) and report back when registration and software workflow steps are complete.
Key quote: Trustee Therese said, "If we don't have controls over who puts that signature on the check, there is nothing to stop" improper use; the amendment requires explicit control and staff restrictions.
Next steps: staff to add the two new sentences to the ordinance text, reference the facsimile statute, register necessary signatures and implement software workflow changes to preserve audit trails.
