Guidelines for Village Board Meeting Participation
Adopted by the Village of Riverside, Board of Trustees on April 3, 2007
1) Public comment is encouraged and an opportunity is provided at all regular and special board meetings. Public comment at the Committee of the Whole meeting
sessions will continue to be limited to invitation. Comments at Special Meetings
will be limited to those items on the preprinted agenda. Comments and
suggestions on any topic are welcome at any Regular meeting.
2) Individuals are encouraged to pre-register to speak at board meetings. Those
who pre-register prior to the meeting during office hours will be offered the
opportunity to speak first. Public comment for any meeting will be limited to a
total of 60 minutes. Each speaker will be limited to a maximum of 5 minutes (one
opportunity per person). This time limitation will be strictly enforced by the
meeting chairperson.
3) If you have not had the opportunity to pre-register to speak with the Board, you
may fill out a speaker request form the night of the Board meeting. Please provide
the “yellow— form to the Village Clerk. The Clerk sits adjacent to the Village
Board dais.
4) Forms are available prior to the meeting. Please visit our Village web site at
www.riverside.il.us, or you may phone (708) 447-2700 x. 254 the office. An
email notice is also acceptable to bheinrich@riverside.il.us. The Village
Manager's office is open from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
generally.
5) Elected officials shall refrain from engaging with the speakers unless
something patently false is stated. Public comment is not a time for debate
between the public and the trustees, but for constituents to tell the Board what
they think.
6) Board meeting participation guidelines may be modified from time to time by
the Village Board. Modifications to the guidelines shall be widely publicized
including but not limited to the Village Webpage, material posted at each
meeting, eflash process and a press release.