CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Adopt the resolution regarding rules for public comments at City Council meetings
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DEPARTMENT: Legal Department
SUBMITTED BY: Michael DiSanto
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
Under New Business at its February 2, 2021 meeting, the City Council directed staff to draft a resolution clarifying the new/additional rules for public participation during present and future remote Council meeting environments necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
DISCUSSION:
Public participation must comply with the Illinois Open Meetings Act (OMA) and the rules set forth for public participation in the Naperville Municipal Code.
Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic the OMA was amended to allow public bodies to hold meetings electronically in order to mitigate safety concerns related to in-person gatherings.
In addition to the public participation rules set forth in the OMA and in the Naperville Municipal Code, the City established rules that appropriately balance the opportunity for the public to address elected officials at an open meeting with the ability to conduct efficient open meetings. To that end, staff recommends the City Council adopt the resolution establishing the following additional rules for public participation at City Council meetings.
These rules are intended to apply for the duration of the Illinois gubernatorial disaster proclamation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and related safety mitigations concerning public meetings.
Public Participation Rules for City Council Meetings
Notably, the existing public participation rules provided in the City's Municipal Code (1-5-6-6, NMC), such as the three-minute time limit, speakers called in the order they signed up, and rules regarding appropriate decorum remain in effect and will not be repeated here.
Beginning with the March 2, 2021 Naperville City Council meeting and continuing until the Council resumes in-person or hybrid (in-person and r...
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