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Normal Town Council Approves Public Comment Changes

Staff
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WGLT

The Normal town council has altered some public comment rules and retained others.  Following an Illinois Attorney General's Office ruling that a 45 day wait between comments violated the Open Meetings Act, council agreed to waive any wait time. 

However, council kept the requirement for 2-hour advance sign up, and that those making comments must address agenda items. City Attorney Brian Day said the ruling was unclear and the council wants more information from the Attorney General.

"The clarity we're seeking isn't what the bill really means," said Day. "The clarity we're seeking is where the Attorney General's office getting these particular interpretations. So that's what we're looking at."

Some council members defended the level of public access under the previous limit saying they hold coffee with the council events and are available to constituents personally and electronically.

Council members declined to change a requirement that public comment relate to the meeting agenda, despite the Attorney General's suggestion that the limit should also vanish.

Day said residents have new policies to look forward to. 

"We've increased the time periods. It used to be two minutes per speaker and we've increased that to three," said Day. "And then the overall comment period used to be 10 minutes. We've increased that to 20. Those are the only changes 0ther than eliminating the 45 minute rule." 

Also during its regular Monday evening meeting, the council approved a resolution to adjust salaries based on living costs. Mayor Chris Koos said he believes union and non-union employees should receive the same salary adjustment benefits. 

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Baylee Steelman joined us in November 2016. She is a journalism major graduating in May 2018. She mainly covers Bloomington City and Normal Town Council meetings, Unit 5 School Board meetings, produces the weekend News In Review, and helps run GLT events. Baylee also produces and anchors at TV-10, Illinois State University's student TV news station.
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