AG: Pecatonica Twp Supervisor Joe Musso Violated the Open Meetings Act

Pecatonica, IL. (ECWd) –

The Illinois Attorney General has determined that Pecatonica Township Supervisor Joe Musso violated the Open Meetings Act by prohibiting me from speaking at the February 18, 2020, meeting because I signed up 13 minutes in advance of the meeting instead of 15 minutes in advance.

This makes for the fifth time this township has violated the Open Meetings Act in relation to public comments.

I think this makes it willful and intentional, and future violations by this Board and Supervisor should be charged as the crimes they are – maybe then they will get the hint they need to comply with state law.

From the Determination:

“As with the previous Requests for Review, this office concludes that the Board did not demonstrate that imposing its 15-minute advance sign up requirement was reasonably necessary to maintain order or to ensure that its meeting was conducted efficiently. Because the Board did not provide any new rationale that would warrant a different result here, it is unnecessary for this office to repeat the same analysis. The Board had only five people, including Mr. Kraft, who signed-up to speak at the February 18, 2020, meeting, and it is undisputed that he signed up 13 minutes in advance. Under these circumstances, the Public Access Bureau concludes that the Board violated section 2.06(g) of OMA at its February 18, 2020, meeting when it prohibited Mr. Kraft from addressing the Board. This office again requests that the Board review and revise its ordinance regulating public comment accordingly.”