Public Comment
Pursuant to and in accordance with section 2.06(g) of the Illinois Open Meetings Act, the Schaumburg Township District Library Board of Trustees will provide an opportunity for public comment at its Board meetings, subject to compliance with the rules set forth in this public comment policy.
The Board has a responsibility to conduct the business of the government in an orderly and efficient manner and to establish reasonable procedures for public comment at its meetings. The president, as chair of the meeting (or the chair pro-tem in the president’s absence) is responsible for ensuring the orderly conduct of the meeting and will rule on the appropriateness of any public comment issues that may arise.
The following procedures for public comment are intended to maintain the orderly conduct of meetings and ensure fairness to those who wish to address the Board:
1. Anyone interested in speaking during the defined public comment portion at a Board meeting is welcome. Individuals are asked to sign in just prior to the start of the meeting.
2. Speakers will be limited to three minutes per person during the defined public comment portion of the meeting. The total time allotted for the public comment periods will be 30 minutes, unless a majority of the Board votes to extend the discussion.
3. Only one person may speak at a time during the defined public comment period.
4. No person may assign their time to any other person.
5. The chair may deny a person who has previously addressed the Board the opportunity to speak again during the same meeting on the same topic.
6. No person may address the Board or engage in public comment except during the defined public comment period, when recognized by the chair.
7. During the defined public comment period, Board members may ask questions of the speaker while he or she is speaking, if recognized by the chair. However, the Board need not answer questions from a speaker during the defined public comment period. If a person has a question for the Board, the individual may be asked to submit the question in writing.
8. Any person who engages in threatening, slanderous, or disorderly behavior when addressing the Board, or who speaks out of turn or otherwise disrupts the Board meeting, will be deemed out-of-order by the chair. Repeated or extraordinary occurrences of disorderly conduct will be grounds for the chair to cause the violator to be removed from the meeting room. The chair will rule on whether remarks made are in violation of this policy.
9. The Board has the authority to determine procedural matters regarding public participation not otherwise defined in this policy and not inconsistent with this policy.
10. Members of the public may also contact the Library Board in writing, either by email at libraryboardtrustees@stdl.org, or by mailing or dropping off written comments at 130 S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg IL 60193 Attn: Business Office| Library Director
Approved by Schaumburg Township District Library Board of Trustees on August 28, 2023.