PUBLIC COMMENT GUIDELINES
1. It is recommended that a written request to address the Village Board by non-members should be submitted via mail, hand delivery, or the Village Website to the Village of Winnebago Office located at 108 West Main Street, Winnebago, Illinois, 61088, by 12:00 Noon on the day of the meeting scheduled by the Village authorities in which the speaker would like to participate. Alternatively, speakers may fill out the form at the meeting to sign up for public comment. Speakers will be invited to speak in the order in which their request was received by the Village.
2. Requests must identify the name of the speaker, resident status and topic to be discussed. Speakers are encouraged to complete the 'points to be raised' section, although such completion is not required. Speaker must identify themselves by name and provide whether they are a resident or non-resident of the Village of Winnebago before their comments. If they choose, speakers may also provide their residential address.
3.Each speaker is limited to three (3) minutes. A maximum of thirty (30) minutes shall be allowed for public comment at each meeting. If a particular item is deemed by the Village President to be controversial, the Village President shall strive to allow all sides an equal amount of time to speak, and may increase the total time limit described above. Time limits shall not apply to Public Hearing.
4. Visual aids may be used during the addressing of the Village Board, but no equipment shall be provided by the Village of Winnebago to use with such visual aide.
5. No abusive or profane language, unruly conduct, or personal attack commentary shall be tolerated. The Village President reserves the right to terminate a speaker's comments before the three-minute time limit has been exhausted if the above guidelines are violated. Furthermore any person who violates these rules or otherwise disrupts the order and the quorum of the meeting may be removed.
6. Speakers will refrain from repeating testimony and comments that have been previously provided to the governing board. Whenever possible, groups of residents shall consolidate their comments and avoid repetition through the use of representative speakers. It is acceptable for speakers to state that they agree/disagree with the previously provided comments and testimony to avoid repetition.
7. No speaker may give their allotted minutes to another person.
8. Speakers may not use public comment to harass board or Commission members or staff. Public comment is not for asking questions of officials or staff or engaging in a dialogue or debate.
9. Members of the governing body are not required to answer questions or otherwise respond to public comments. Comments may be taken under advisement and may be referred to the appropriate staff member for response outside of the meeting.
10. All speakers and the audience shall respect the presiding officer’s discretion and furtherance of maintaining proper order, respect, and decorum during the meeting. Members of the audience shall refrain from noisy outbursts or other distracting actions such as applauding, cheering, or booing during the conclusion of any remarks made by any speaker, staff member, or village official.
Generally, all Village meetings are held at the Village Office located at 108 West Main Street, Winnebago, Illinois. However, in the event a larger than usual crowd is expected for a given meeting, an alternate meeting site will be chosen with notification of the same given to the public in accordance with normal procedure and as required by law. For more information please contact: Village of Winnebago Office (815) 335-2020