What Are the Agencies Graded On?
Each Town of Cicero agency is graded on 12 accessibility criteria related to the Open Meetings Act and other government transparency guidelines. 11 of the criteria are modeled after City Bureau’s original research and Cicero Independiente added an additional criteria related to interpretation and translation given Cicero’s predominantly Spanish speaking community. The criteria are listed below:
Information
The first step toward participating in a public meeting is knowing when and where it is, and getting context on the decisions it’s been making.
1) Has a website
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.
2) Meeting schedule posted online
Information must be posted at least 48 hours before the meeting, according to the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
3) Agendas posted online
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.
4) Minutes posted online
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.
5) Minutes include required details
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.
6) Meeting recordings or livestream posted online
Though not legally required, audio or video recordings provide additional layers of communication and context for how a meeting was conducted.
Public Comment
The Illinois Attorney General has said that all public bodies subject to the Open Meetings Act must provide an opportunity for members of the public to address public officials at open meetings. Public comment periods offer an avenue for people to support or oppose policy decisions and provide information that might not otherwise be represented in a meeting.
7) Public commenters don’t need to register in advance
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.
8) Commenters can discuss anything related to the agency and not just the meeting agenda
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.
9) Total time for public comment period is unlimited or at least one hour
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.
Scheduling
Knowing the time and location of a meeting is one thing, but it doesn’t necessarily make getting there any easier. Varying meeting times and locations can reduce barriers for attendees.
10) Meetings are rarely cancelled
While some cancellations are inevitable, this category flags agencies where 20% or more of the meetings were canceled.
11) Meeting times vary to accommodate differing schedules
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.
Language
Not having adequate language access can create barriers to democratic participation for people who do not speak English. Governing agencies should be able to adequately provide professional, accurate and intentional interpretation and translation services.
12) Schedules, agendas, and minutes are translated into Spanish and simultaneous interpretation services are available at each meeting.
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