Chapter 2.08
BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Sections:

2.08.010    Election – Term – Functions.

2.08.020    Oath – Compensation.

2.08.030    Regular meetings – Committee of the whole meetings.

2.08.035    Repealed.

2.08.040    Special meetings.

2.08.050    Presiding officer.

2.08.060    Quorum.

2.08.070    Ordinances, resolutions and motions – Approval or veto by village president.

2.08.080    Reconsideration – Passing over veto.

2.08.090    Standing committees.

2.08.100    Special committees.

2.08.110    Committee membership.

2.08.120    Meetings open to the public.

2.08.130    Disturbing meetings.

2.08.140    Order of business.

2.08.145    Creation of agendas for all regular board meetings, special board meetings, and committee of the whole meetings.

2.08.150    Rescinded action.

2.08.160    Resolutions.

2.08.170    Addressing the board – Consent required.

2.08.180    Suspension of rules.

2.08.190    Robert’s Rules of Order.

For statutory provisions on the board of trustees, see 65 ILCS 5/Art. 3.1 Div. 45.

2.08.010 Election – Term – Functions.

The board of trustees, consisting of six members, shall be elected to office for a four-year term as is provided by statute. The board shall be the legislative department of the village government, and shall perform such duties and have such powers as may be delegated to it by statute.

2.08.020 Oath – Compensation.

A. The members of the board of trustees shall take the oath of office prescribed by statute. In addition, trustees shall also receive one hundred dollars per month for expenses. The compensation to be paid to trustees shall be paid on the first day of the month and shall not be more than the sum of ten thousand dollars per year. Trustees shall also have the option to receive health and dental insurance through the village’s group health insurance plans.

B. On May 1, 2009, the compensation shall increase by two percent over that paid in the prior year; provided, that the board of trustees during the month of May may, by a motion, set aside the yearly two percent increase each year. This compensation shall be the entire compensation received by trustees. (Ord. 2016-38 §§ 15, 23, 28, 2016; Ord. 2008-29 § 1, 2008; Ord. 98-43 § 1, 1998)

2.08.030 Regular meetings – Committee of the whole meetings.

A. The regular meetings of the board of trustees shall be held on the fourth Tuesday of each month, beginning at seven p.m. The committee of the whole meeting of the board of trustees shall be held on the second Tuesday of each month, beginning at seven p.m.

B. The meeting place of the board shall be at the municipal building, unless otherwise ordered by the board. If such meeting date should fall on a legal holiday, or if there is no quorum present, the meeting shall be held on the next secular day, or as is set by the board. (Ord. 2015-16 § 3, 2015; Ord. 2013-33 § 3, 2013; Ord. 2010-11 § 1, 2010)

2.08.035 Trustee absence from meetings.

Repealed by Ord. 2016-38. (Ord. 2008-29 § 2, 2008)

2.08.040 Special meetings.

Special meetings may be called by the president of the village or any three trustees upon at least twenty-four hours’ notice to all members and the president. If all the trustees are present at a special meeting, no notice of the meeting shall be necessary and such notice shall be deemed waived.

2.08.050 Presiding officer.

The village president shall be the presiding officer of all regular and special meetings of the board of trustees and at all times when the board meets as a committee of the whole.

2.08.060 Quorum.

A majority of the trustees, or three trustees and the village president, shall constitute a quorum to do business.

2.08.070 Ordinances, resolutions and motions – Approval or veto by village president.

All resolutions and motions (A) which create any liability against the village or (B) which provide for the expenditure or appropriation of its money, or (C) to sell any village property, and all ordinances passed by the village board shall be deposited with the village clerk. If the village president approves of them, he shall sign them. Those of which he disapproves, he shall return to the village board, with his written objections, at the next regular meeting of the village board occurring not less than five days after their passage. The village president may disapprove of any one or more sums appropriated in any ordinance, resolution or motion making an appropriation, and if so, the remainder shall be effective. However, the village president may disapprove entirely of an ordinance, resolution or motion making an appropriation. If the village president fails to return any ordinance or any specified resolution with his written objections, within the designated time, it shall become effective despite the absence of his signature.

2.08.080 Reconsideration – Passing over veto.

Every resolution and motion specified in RMC 2.08.070, and every ordinance, which is returned to the board of trustees by the village president, shall be reconsidered by the board of trustees. If, after such reconsideration, two-thirds of all the trustees elected to the village board agree to pass an ordinance, resolution or motion, notwithstanding the president’s refusal to approve it, then it shall be effective. The vote on the question of passage over the president’s veto shall be by yeas and nays, and shall be recorded in the journal.

2.08.090 Standing committees.

The following shall be the standing committees of the board of trustees and the additional members thereof:

A. Administration and Personnel. In addition to the trustees appointed by the majority of the board of trustees, the other members of this committee shall be the village administrator, personnel director and the village attorney. This committee considers matters relating to village-wide personnel policies and internal procedures as they relate to the Village Hall, municipal employees and municipal services provided by the village and its employees. The functions of this committee shall include, but not be limited to, reviewing and/or investigating issues of compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations. This committee shall also review compliance and adherence to board and village mandates and policies; investigate potential ethics violations and fraud; develop policies related to preventing violations of the law, board policies and mandates, and the village code; and investigate noncriminal complaints involving the village of Riverdale and/or its employees, elected and appointed officials and officers.

B. Community Affairs and Economic Development. In addition to the trustees approved by the majority of the board of trustees, the other members of this committee shall be the community resource center director and the economic development director. This committee shall promote community awareness through effective two-way communication between the village, its residents, local community organizations and surrounding governmental entities in addition to identifying economic development opportunities.

C. Finance. In addition to the trustees approved by the majority of the board of trustees, the other members of this committee shall be the village administrator, comptroller, treasurer and all members of the finance department. This committee considers matters of finance, fiscal policy, budgets, appropriations, tax levies and bond issues. The functions of this committee shall include, but not be limited to, reviewing and/or investigating issues of compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations related to the village’s finances and budgeting as well as compliance with board and village mandates and policies, potential ethics violations, fraud, prevention of these violations, and investigations of any noncriminal complaints involving the village of Riverdale and/or its employees, elected and appointed officials and officers.

D. Fire, Inspectional Services, and Zoning. In addition to the trustees approved by the majority of the board of trustees, the other members of this committee shall be the fire chief and the village attorney. This committee considers all matters relating to fire, paramedics, building code requirement, planning, zoning, building and housing.

E. Police. In addition to the trustees approved by the majority of the board of trustees, the other member of this committee shall be the police chief. This committee considers all matters relating to the police department and ESDA as well as considers all public safety concerns.

F. Public Works. In addition to the trustees approved by the majority of the board of trustees, the other member of this committee shall be the public works director. This committee deals with issues regarding the village’s streets and public ways, water system and engineering aspects of the aforementioned. (Ord. 2011-16 § 1, 2011)

2.08.100 Special committees.

Special committees shall be created from time to time as directed by the board of trustees. The membership and duties of any special committees shall be determined by the board of trustees. (Ord. 2011-16 § 2, 2011)

2.08.110 Committee membership.

All standing and special committees shall be composed of three trustees members, including the chairman, unless the board of trustees directs otherwise. Chairmanship and committee assignments shall be approved by a majority of the board of trustees and the board of trustees will consider the trustee’s preference, based upon seniority, in making such assignments.

Chairmanship and committee assignments shall be in effect for one year and said assignments shall be made at the first regular or special board meeting, if said special meeting is called for that purpose, in the month of May.

Standing committees shall meet at least quarterly for conducting business unless determined by the committee that additional meetings are necessary. (Ord. 2011-16 § 3, 2011)

2.08.120 Meetings open to the public.

All meetings of the board of trustees shall be open to the public as provided by statute.

2.08.130 Disturbing meetings.

It is unlawful for any person to disturb any meeting of the board of trustees or of any committee thereof.

2.08.140 Order of business.

The order of business to be observed at all meetings of the village board shall be as follows:

A. Roll call;

B. Action on minutes;

C. Report of committees and officers;

D. Communications and petitions;

E. Unfinished business;

F. New business.

2.08.145 Creation of agendas for all regular board meetings, special board meetings, and committee of the whole meetings.

A. Upon the effective date of the ordinance codified in this section, the agendas for the regular board meetings, special board meetings, and committee of the whole meetings shall be created by the village clerk except as otherwise provided herein.

B. All agenda requests by a sitting village trustee or the village president to the village clerk or her designee made within three business days from the date of the meeting shall be honored and placed on the agenda. All agenda requests must be made in writing, which shall include but not be limited to requests made via facsimile or electronic mail. If a question regarding the requested agenda item exists, the requesting party shall be contacted by the village clerk or her designee no less than forty-eight hours before the meeting to clarify the request. If the trustee or village president is unable to be reached, the item must be placed on the agenda as requested and in the form requested.

C. The clerk shall post an agenda for each aforementioned meeting at the principal office of the village and at the location where the meeting is to be held at least forty-eight hours in advance of the holding of the meeting. This request shall not apply to emergency meetings, which shall be posted as provided by law.

D. In the event that the clerk does not honor the requests of the trustees or the village president and a written objection is made by the trustee or village president whose request was not honored, the corporate authorities may, by a motion and a majority vote of the corporate authorities at the next regular board meeting or special meeting, appoint a sitting trustee to take over the duties of creating and posting the agenda for all regular board meetings, special board meetings, and committee of the whole meetings. If a sitting trustee is appointed to create and post the agenda, said sitting trustee must also comply with the above subsections of this section and such authority shall continue to reside with an appointed trustee until and unless a motion is passed by the majority of the corporate authorities restoring that authority to the clerk. (Ord. 2012-09 § 1, 2012)

2.08.150 Rescinded action.

No vote or action of the board of trustees shall be rescinded at any special meeting of the board unless there are present at such special meeting as many members of the board as were present at the meeting when such vote or action was taken, as provided by statute.

2.08.160 Resolutions.

Any resolutions submitted to the board of trustees shall be reduced to writing before being voted upon, on request of any two members of the board.

2.08.170 Addressing the board – Consent required.

No person other than the president or a member of the board shall address that body at any regular or special meeting except upon consent of a majority of the members present.

2.08.180 Suspension of rules.

The rules of order, other than those prescribed by statute, may be suspended at any time by the consent of a majority of the members present at any meeting.

2.08.190 Robert’s Rules of Order.

Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the deliberations of the board of trustees except when in conflict with the rules set out in RMC 2.08.140 through 2.08.180.