Citizens to be Heard Policy
The meetings of the Wheaton Public Library (WPL) Board of Trustees are open to members of the public, pursuant to the Illinois Open Meetings Act. This policy establishes the rules for public comment during meetings of the WPL Board of Trustees.
Members of the public have a right to speak at all regular and special open meetings of the WPL Board meetings. All viewpoints and opinions are welcome; positive comments and constructive criticism are encouraged.
Minutes are a summary of the Board’s discussions and actions, therefore public comments and written materials submitted by the public may not be reflected in the minutes.
In-Person Public Comment
Members of the public who want to make public comment, in person, must sign in on the sign-up sheet, providing a full name. All public comments will be heard during the Citizens to be Heard Agenda Item.
Time Limits
Comments by members of the public are limited to three (3) minutes. The Board President shall have discretion to modify this time limit, as well as to limit repetitive comments. The Board requests that any group appoint one speaker to present the views of the entire group.
Prohibited Conduct
Visitors to meetings must adhere to all behavior guidelines in the Library’s Patron Rules of Conduct. Speakers must refrain from harassing or directing threats or personal attacks toward the Library Board, staff, other speakers, and members of the public. If a visitor engages in prohibited conduct, the Board President may prohibit further comment at the specific meeting or may ask the visitor to leave the meeting. The Board President shall have the authority to determine procedural matters regarding public participation not otherwise defined in this policy.
COVID Pandemic Virtual/Physical Board Meetings
As WPL continues to navigate through the COVID Pandemic and Governor’s Orders, the meetings of the Board of Trustees will be held in person, virtual or hybrid. The virtual platform being used will be ZOOM. The link to the ZOOM is provided on the meeting agenda, found on the Library’s website. If the meeting is hybrid (both in person and ZOOM), the ZOOM portion will not be recorded.
The Board may restrict capacity in accordance with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regarding social distancing requirements. Please check the Library’s website for up-to-date information. CDC guidelines and IL State Governor Orders will be followed when there are members of the public in attendance.
Members of the public who attend via Zoom, who want to make a public comment, will be asked to provide their telephone number being used to access the meeting. Please be advised that telephone number and name may be visible to the public, on Zoom. Public comment or questions will not be accepted in the Zoom chat box It is encouraged that speaker contact information be provided if there is a need for follow-up.
Wheaton Public Library Official Policy 5/21/2012
Amended and Approved 10/2021