The following are two more Open Meetings Act Requests for Review sent to the Illinois Attorney
General’s office this month. I will post updates as they are received.
The first was an Aug 16th meeting in which a committee of two, appointed by the ETSB chairman,
held a meeting without posting official notice and without posting an agenda.
The second one was a meeting on Oct 17th. It was held at the Ambulance Services building.
The 911 board was present, the meeting was posted, but there was no agenda posted. The
Illinois Open Meetings Act specifically requires that all meetings be posted and an agenda
posted at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.
“Meeting” is defined as “any gathering of a majority of a quorum of the members of a
public body held for the purpose of discussing public business.” 5 ILCS 120/1.02. “Public
body” is defined to include “all legislative, executive, administrative or advisory bodies
of the state, counties, townships, cities, villages, incorporated towns, school districts
and all other municipal corporations, boards, bureaus, committees or commissions of this
State, and any subsidiary bodies of any of the foregoing including but not
limited to committees and subcommittees …” 5 ILCS 120/1.02.
Enforcement:
“Where the provisions of this Act are not complied with, or where there is probable cause to
believe that the provisions of this Act will not be complied with, any person, including the
State’s Attorney of the county in which such noncompliance may occur, may bring a civil
action in the circuit court for the judicial circuit in which the alleged noncompliance has
occurred or is about to occur, or in which the affected public body has its principal office,
prior to or within 60 days of the meeting alleged to be in violation of this Act or, if
facts concerning the meeting are not discovered within the 60-day period, within 60 days
of the discovery of a violation by the State’s Attorney.” 5 ILCS 120/3. Violation of the
Act is a criminal offense, a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $1500
and imprisonment for up to 30 days. 5 ILCS 120/4.
Click on pictures to enlarge:
1 Comment
jmkraft
Posted at 21:03h, 29 October