Remote Participation Policy

Library Board approved August 22, 2017.

Section 1. Policy Statement. It is the policy of the Oak Park Public Library that a member of the Board (or any committee associated with the Oak Park Public Library which is subject to the provisions of the Open Meetings Act) may attend and participate in any open or closed meeting of that covered body from a remote location via telephone, video, or internet connection, provided that such attendance and participation is in compliance with this policy and any other applicable laws.  Section 2. Prerequisites. A member of the Board shall be provided the opportunity to attend an open and closed meeting or only one of such meetings from a remote location if the member meets the following conditions and a majority of a quorum of the Board votes to approve the remote attendance:

(i) The member must notify the recording secretary of the Board at least 24 hours before the meeting unless advance notice is impractical;

(ii) The member must meet one of three reasons described herein why he or she is unable to physically attend the meeting, including either: (1) that the member cannot attend because of personal illness or disability; (2) the member cannot attend because of employment purposes or the business of the Oak Park Public Library; or (3) the member cannot attend because of a family or other emergency; and

(iii) A quorum of the Board must be physically present at the location of the meeting as posted in the meeting notice.

Section 3. Voting Procedures. After roll call, a vote of the Board shall be taken, considering the prerequisites set forth in Section 2, on whether to allow an off-site board member to participate remotely. All of the members physically present are permitted to vote on whether remote participation will be allowed.  A vote may be taken to permit remote participation for a stated series of meetings if the same reason applies in each case.  Otherwise, a vote must be taken to allow each instance of remote participation.

Section 4. Quorum and Vote Required. A quorum must be established by members physically present at any meeting before it can be considered whether to allow a member to participate in the meeting remotely.  A vote of a majority of a quorum shall be necessary to decide the issue.  For the meeting to continue there shall always need to be a quorum physically present.

Section 5. Minutes. The member participating remotely shall be considered an off-site participant and counted as present by means of video or audio conference, for that meeting if the member is allowed to participate. The meeting minutes of the Oak Park Public Library shall also reflect and state specifically whether each member is physically present, present by video, or present by audio means.

Section 6. Rights of Remote Member. The member permitted to participate remotely will be able to express his or her comments during the meeting and participate in the same capacity as those members physically present, subject to all general meeting guidelines and procedures previously adopted and adhered to. The remote member shall be heard, considered, and counted as to any vote taken. Accordingly, the name of any remote member shall be called during any vote taken, and his or her vote counted and recorded by the Secretary and placed in the minutes for the corresponding meeting.  A member participating remotely may leave a meeting and return as in the case of any member.

Section 7. Meetings. The term meeting as used herein refers to any gathering, whether in person or by video or audio conference, telephone call, electronic means (such as, without limitation, electronic mail, electronic chat, and instant messaging), or other means of contemporaneous interactive communication, of a majority of a quorum of the members of a public body held for the purposes of discussing public business.

Section 8. Closed Meetings. A quorum of the Oak Park Public Library Board members must be physically present at any closed meeting.  Members participating remotely shall otherwise be entitled to participate in closed meetings by video or audio conference.

« Back to Policies