Village Commissions and the Board of Trustees​

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The Village Commissioners and Trustees are charged with the responsibility of making decisions among competing interests and with limited resources. Whatever your stand on an issue, rest assured there are usually others who share your opinion or who believe the opposite.  Every month, the Glenview Board of Trustees and Village Commissions meet to discuss issues and make decisions.  Visit the Village website in order to find out the names of the Trustees and Commissioners and what the different Commissions do. Why not attend any of these meetings and share your thoughts?

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How to Make Your Voice Heard

To make your voice heard effectively, know your facts and understand the issue when you approach a Trustee or Commissioner or make a presentation to the Village Board or a Commission.   There are several ways to express your views:

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Communicate with a Trustee or Commissioner.

• Email or write. You’ll find contact information on the Village website.

• Set up a meeting with one of the Trustees, Commissioners, or with a member of the Village staff. This is particularly useful in the information-gathering stage.

• Make sure you are familiar with the issue and express yourself clearly and succinctly.

Attend a Commission meeting.

• Many issues are first considered at the Commission level, and depending on the issue, this might be the best place to start – before it reaches the Board.

• Commission meetings are open to the public by law. You don’t need to RSVP or ask permission to attend. Visit the Village website to learn about when various Commissions meet.  You might want to contact a Staff member or Commissioner to find out the procedure for making comments.

• Take a look at past agendas or minutes to see what has already been discussed, considered, or passed regarding your issue. Most Commissions post minutes and/or videos.

• Bring a crowd! Commissioners are more responsive to issues that have strong public support.

Attend a Village Board of Trustees meeting.

• Board meetings are also open to the public (although there are circumstances when the Board may close the meeting for an Executive Session). They are held the first and third Tuesday of each month; you can find a meeting schedule on the Village website. An agenda is posted prior to each meeting.

• Take a look at past agendas or minutes to see what has already been discussed, considered, or passed regarding your issue. The Village Boards posts agendas, meeting minutes, and videos of each Board meeting on the Village website.

• You will need to fill out a card at the beginning of the meeting in order to make a public comment related to an item on the Agenda. There are two opportunities to address trustees at a Board meeting: (1) Public comments related to an Agenda item while the Board is discussing a topic; and (2) “Matters to be Presented by the Public” at the end of the meeting.

• Each public comment is limited to three minutes. Prepare your remarks in advance – be sure they are to the point and jam-packed with key information. You don’t want to be cut off before you’ve even made your first talking point. Generally, this is one-way communication. The Trustees will listen but won’t respond to your comments or ask questions. However, they may follow up later as appropriate – or direct Village staff to contact you.

• If you want to suggest an item for the Agenda, you need to contact the Village Manager several days prior to the Board Meeting. It is not guaranteed that the item will be added to the Agenda.

• As with Commissioners, Trustees are more responsive to issues that have strong public support, so bring a crowd if you can.

 

Guide Table of Contents

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Section 5: Taking the Plunge–Becoming an Elected or Appointed Official

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