The Open Meetings Act applicable section was amended effective 1/1/2013. That’s more than 7 years ago!
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By: Diane Benjamin
The Town of Normal under the current leadership prefers to make up their own laws. The most obvious example is their illegal public comment policy.
Here’s another one:
http://normal.org/DocumentCenter/View/7697/Chapter-03—Council-Meetings-and-Ordinances?bidId=
What does the Open Meetings Act say?
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=84
The easiest way to find out if a meeting can legally be called with 24 hours notice is to SEARCH the law. There is only one reference to 24 hours in the entire document, it pertains to a meeting that is reconvened:
The REAL requirements are stated directly above:
The only time the 48 hour requirement can be waived is for a “bona fide emergency”. That term is in the same section.
How many 24 hour notice meetings has Normal held?
First paragraph of the law:
If you have never watched a Town Council meeting you have missed leadership making clear they can’t be bothered with petty things like discussing how money has been spent. Koos calls the Council a “business meeting”. He doesn’t believe the Council is doing the People’s business that ensures openness and transparency.
This is just more proof the Town of Normal needs a good house cleaning. April 2021!
Please correct me if I’m wrong. I read this differently than you, Diane. I interpret it to mean that if someone (the Mayor or 3 Council Members) want to call a special meeting, they must notify the others involved 24 hours in advance, set an agenda, and STILL post the actual date and time 48 hours in advance. What say others?
Since the public is the last thing they think about, I don’t read it that way. Besides, a citizen sent this to Mayor, council, and City Manager days ago and hasn’t received a response.
Because Fuhrer Koos and his posse are authoritarian socialists who don’t give a damn about what anyone outside their group thinks. Sit down and shut up and let the Fuhrer take care of things. He knows what is best for you and the town.
Normal city government is very threatened by public input in any form or fashion and has designed their policies and procedures to avoid it at all costs. Their mantra is “plan your work and work your plan” and citizen input disrupts the plan. They have next to no regard for the Open Meetings Act and view most of it as a major hindrance to the incessant mantra of “plan your work and work your plan.” It’s why they hate Stan Nord. He actually questions the plan and if given a chance so would a lot of other citizens. Any interaction they have with the public is their opportunity for them to indoctrinate, intimidate, threaten, demean or discredit you, not listen to anything you have to say.
Time for someone to violate their rules and let them deny you your civil rights then sue them. Let them pay your attorney fees as well!
Normal has the municipal code which the public assumes are the rules that both the public and government follows. Normal gvt also has internal process and tradition which may contradict the code. I have seen both used. The only consistency is Normal will use whichever suits their desired outcome at the time.
Staff have said it is not what the rules say that matters, it is how they interpret the rules that matters.
When your council and mayor don’t want to hear from the citizens some town staff grab for as much power as they can. This is destroying our town, state and country. Term limits should apply for high level staff too.