Many park district officials find that conducting board meetings is a challenging administrative task. Typical complaints that are voiced about board meetings relate to poor organization and inefficiency.

To assist park district officials conduct a more smooth and effective board meeting, the attorneys with Ancel, Glink, Diamond, Cope & Bush, P.C., have developed 13 suggestions to shorten and improve them. Six are provided here and all 13 can be found in the Hand- book on Illinois Park District Law, 3"1 edition, scheduled for publication in May 1999 by the Illinois Association of Park Districts.

1 Do Not Discuss Premature Issues or Issues that Already Have Been Discussed at Length
Certain issues require fact-finding reports and additional information. To avoid misusing time, issues should not be discussed until all necessary information has been obtained. When a controversy has been adequately deliberated and decided upon, the prevailing side should pass a motion to reconsider and then vote against the provision. This parliamentary procedure has the effect of preventing any attempt to revisit a settled issue. In situations in which new, pertinent information comes to light regarding a settled issue, a new motion based on changed circumstances can be raised so long as the presiding officer does not oppose it. If this new motion is ruled out of order, a motion to appeal the chair's decision can be made. However, to prevent from turning every matter of controversy into a never ending story, the motion to raise an issue that has already been settled as a new matter should be used judiciously.

2 Utilize a Consent Agenda ("OMNIBUS Vote")
Illinois law permits public entities to vote on motions to authorize the expenditure of funds, pass ordinances or resolutions, receive or accept documents, and all other varieties of governmental actions, in a single action that has two parts. First the government body must, by unanimous action, agree on what items are to be acted upon. A single vote is then taken on the acceptance or rejection of all items on the agenda. A person who voted to accept the agenda can then vote against the passage of all the items. Illinois law requires all items placed on the consent agenda to be explained to the public or press attending the meeting. The explanation can be brief as long as it is clear and intelligible.

3 Limit or Control Public Comment
Board members should be mindful about allowing unfettered public participation during meetings so as to avoid disruption and misuse of time. As elected representatives, board members have the obligation to listen to and address public comments and concerns; however, this should be accomplished in a manner that will not impede the district's administration. To accommodate the electorate's needs while ensuring efficiency, board members can: a) allot a specific amount of time for public speaking in the agenda; b) prohibit any disruptive outbursts; and c) request and review written comments from the public to address during board meetings.

While Illinois law grants local legislators wide discre-

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tion in limiting public participation in meetings, the law requires that most meetings be open to the public. Moreover, board members should be aware that they are liable for potential civil rights suits if they discriminate in the manner in which they allow or seek to limit public criticism.

4 Limit Board Debate
While deliberation of legislative issues is an important aspect of the democratic process, boards should consider developing a procedure that limits all comments to a certain number of minutes. To ensure an organized debate, the board should also make a rule that prevents a board member from retaking the floor until all other members who wish to speak have had an opportunity to do so. In addition, the board should consider limiting the number of times a member is permitted to speak on a particular matter.

5 Utilize Legally Noticed "Pre-Meeting Sessions"
Under Illinois law local government boards can conduct pre-board meetings so long as the public has adequate notice and is allowed to attend. Pre-session meetings are recommended because they provide board members an opportunity to clarify any questions or issues regarding matters on the board agenda. This allows members to conduct the regular meeting in a more organized fashion. Moreover, the pre-meeting sessions enable the public and the press to better understand and interpret the matters that are discussed at the general board meeting.

6 Training Sessions for Elected Officials
Many newly elected board members do not have a back- ground in public service, and thus are not familiar with park district government and parliamentary procedure. To enable these new members to become effective administrators, the district should be prepared to pay for their tuition costs and expenses to attend conferences sponsored by the Illinois Association of Park Districts and other organizations and useful resources such as the Handbook on Illinois Park District Law.

STEWART H. DIAMOND
is a partner in She taw firm of Ancel, Glink, Diamond, Cope & Bush, P.C. Educated al the University of Chicago and Oxford University, he has fought law at Northwestern University and John Marshall Law School This article is an excerpt from "] 3 Ways To Shorten and improve Park District Meetings," published in the Handbook on Illinois Park District Law, 3rd edition, scheduled for release this May by the Illinois Association of Park Districts.

20 ¦ Illinois Porks and Recreation