Open Gov Report Card

While the Illinois Open Meetings Act doesn’t require agencies to have their own websites, they are required to post information online and a website makes it easier for people to access.

Information must be posted at least 48 hours before the meeting, according to the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

If an agency has a website maintained by its own full-time staff, Illinois’s Open Meetings Act requires that it posts agendas 48 hours in advance of any meetings. Agendas aren’t always comprehensive but can help people understand the meeting processes and what issues will be discussed.

Minutes, or notes, are an official record of each meeting. If an agency has a website maintained by its own full-time staff, Illinois’s Open Meetings Act requires that it posts minutes online within 10 days of being approved. A passing grade indicates the majority of past meetings have minutes posted.

Illinois’s Open Meetings Act requires that minutes include the time and place of a meeting, attendance and a summary of any votes taken or discussion. Many agencies leave out the discussion and only report a list of votes.

Though not legally required, audio or video recordings provide additional layers of communication and context for how a meeting was conducted.

The Illinois Attorney General has said people should not be required to sign up for public comment before the meeting begins, as it’s an unnecessary barrier to participation.

The Illinois Attorney General has said that agencies can only restrict public comment to issues under their jurisdiction, not to specific agenda items. Otherwise it would be impossible for attendees to bring up novel agenda items that apply to the agency.

Agencies are allowed to limit how long each commenter can speak and the maximum length for public comment periods. City Bureau set the bar at one hour as a reasonable time for attendees to participate.

While some cancellations are inevitable, this category flags agencies where 20% or more of the meetings were canceled.

The overwhelming majority of public meetings happen between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. While there’s no perfect time to hold a meeting, varying the times can make meetings more accessible to members of the public.