City of Lincoln, Illinois

Members of the public shall be permitted to address the City Council during the portion of each meeting designated for public comment.

No person shall address the Council without having first secured the recognition of the Mayor. No votes by the Council will occur that are not already on the agenda if deemed appropriate by the Council, the item will be added to agenda of a subsequent meeting within the next 30 days. 

Three (3) members of the public may address the Council with ten ( 10) minutes for his or her presentation, unless authorized to receive additional time by the Mayor or the consent of a majority of the Council present. Members of the Council, upon recognition by the Mayor, may question speakers during the "public comment" portion of the agenda. Any time spent during questioning by members of the Council shall not be deducted from the five minute time limit for comment permitted to each speaker. The City Clerk or recording secretary shall be designated as official timekeeper and shall be responsible for notifying the Mayor when allotted time for each speaker has expired.

 The entire portion of the public comment section of the agenda shall not exceed thirty (30) minutes, unless the Mayor or a majority of the Council present authorize an extension.

Individuals or organizations wishing to present to the Council for a period greater than ten minutes should contact the Mayor or City Administrator at least 48 hours prior to a regular meeting of the City Council. The use of audio/visual equipment for the purposes of a presentation shall be at the discretion of the Mayor.

 Each member of the public addressing the Council shall be expected to conform to conventional standards of decorum and shall refrain from making vulgar, insulting, or inappropriate remarks toward or about any member of the Council, any employee or officer of the City, or any member of the audience.

The Mayor shall have the authority to direct that a speaker suspend his or her remarks for exceeding the prescribed time limit or for any other violation of these Rules of Order for Public Comment.

No member of the public addressing the Council shall address the Council to advance any particular candidate for public office or the political campaign of any particular candidate for public office.

No member of the public addressing the Council shall address the Council in order to use the forum for the purpose of advertising any product, service, business, or other enterprise for the bencflt of a private company, partnership, or individual(s).

 Each member of the public, before addressing the Council, shall be required to sign a speaker card, to be designed by the City Clerk, upon which is stated his or her name, address, phone number and the subject upon which the speaker proposes to address the Council.

Members of the public addressing the Council, or other board, shall state their name and address of residence as a matter of public record, prior to their comments.

Other than the designated period provided for public participation, the members of the public shall NOT enter into discussion or proceedings of the Council. The Council shall refrain from interaction with members of the public during meeting sessions. The Mayor may, in his or her discretion, call on members of the public for infomation which may assist the Council in consideration of any agenda item. A member of the public may respond when called upon, but shall limit his or her response to those matters necessarily implicated by the Mayor's request.

Failure to strictly observe the rules set forth within this policy at any meeting shall have no effect on any action taken by the Council at that meeting.

It is unlawful through verbal or nonverbal means to disturb, interrupt, or disrupt any meeting of the Lincoln City Council or to behave in a disorderly manner at any such Council meeting. Any such person who disturbs a meeting or behaves in a disorderly manner may be removed from the meeting by a law enforcement officer.