Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Meeting Procedures topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
LaSalle County committee debates how to manage a large public-comment turnout at full board meeting
Summary
Committee members discussed options for handling an expected large number of public commenters at the upcoming full board meeting, debating per-person time limits, topic grouping, timers and compliance with the Open Meetings Act.
Ahead of a full county board meeting expected to draw substantial public turnout, members of the LaSalle County Committee on Appointments, Legislation and Rules discussed how to balance public comment rights with an orderly meeting structure.
A committee member read an email advising that when a significant number of constituents are expected, strictly limiting or curtailing public comment could raise concerns under the Open Meetings Act. Committee members debated several approaches: adhere to existing policy (15 minutes total, five minutes per person), select neighborhood representatives to speak for groups, shorten individual comments to three minutes to speed the process, use a visible timer or clock to enforce limits, or allow anyone who shows up to speak as some neighboring municipalities do.
The chair said the county has flexibility to set policy so long as transparency is preserved and said past meetings have exceeded the stated time limits when many people attended. Another member suggested grouping speakers by topic so comments do not merely echo each other. Committee members agreed a practical approach was needed for the coming Thursday full-board meeting; no formal rule change was adopted during the committee meeting.
The committee’s discussion underscores the challenge of managing high-interest public meetings while complying with open-meetings law; the full county board meeting this week will implement the committee’s practical guidance and arrangements for speakers.
