The Illinois Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120) provides for public comment during meetings of public bodies. In compliance with the Act, the Fairview Heights Library Board has adopted this policy to provide the following rules and guidelines for public participation at its meetings.
- Public comments are permitted during the time designated on the meeting agenda, unless otherwise directed by the Library Board President.
- Public comments will be limited to three (3) minutes each and time may not be assigned to anyone else. Overall limit for all public comments in a single meeting will be thirty (30) minutes.
- Speakers may share their comments in person.
- Individuals attending Board meetings must conduct themselves with respect and civility towards others. Abuse, threatening, or harassing language and/or personal attacks will not be permitted. The Board President or a presiding officer may prohibit further comment at the meeting by a speaker whose remarks violate this rule.
- Speakers should sign in prior to the start of the meeting using the provided sign-in sheet. Each speaker shall provide his/her name address and group affiliation (if any). The sign-in sheet will determine the order in which speakers will be recognized.
- When recognized by the Board President, the speaker may begin by stating their name.
- Board members are not obligated to respond to comments from the public. In the event the Board President or presiding officer chooses to ask a clarifying question or respond to comments, this act does not extend the speaker’s comment period nor invite further discussion on the topic. Issues requiring possible action by the Board may be added to a future meeting agenda.
- A copy of the guidelines will be placed next to the sign-in sheet made available to members of the public at the entrance to the Board meetings.
- Minutes are a summary of the Board’s discussion and actions. Speaker requests to append written statements or correspondence to the minutes will not be approved. Generally, written materials presented to the Board will be included in the library’s files rather than in the minutes.
The Board President shall have the authority to determine procedural matters regarding public participation not otherwise defined in these guidelines.
Adopted: 1/16/2014, Amended: 8/20/2026
