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.

Coffee with the Council

• Several times throughout the year, Village Trustees host "Coffee with the Council".  All residents are invited to meet with the trustees to discuss any issues of concern or to share ideas. 

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 two business days prior to each meeting (usually Friday afternoons).

• 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.

• You will notice some items for consideration listed toward the beginning of the meeting as Consent Agenda. There are several matters that appear on the Village Board’s agenda that are considered routine in nature. or that have been discussed at a previous meeting. If an item gets no opposing votes (passes 7-0, 6-0, etc.), it is moved to the Consent Agenda for the next meeting. They will be approved by a single motion at the beginning of the Consent Agenda section of the meeting. Before a vote is taken on the Consent Agenda, the Village President will ask if any Board member would like an item removed from the Consent Agenda. If the item is approved on the Consent Agenda, it will not be discussed later in the meeting.

• At the conclusion of some meetings, the Village Board may vote to adjourn from its public meeting in order to meet privately in an Executive Session. Discussion by the Village Board in Executive Sessions is not open to the public and is limited by state law to matters where the public interest is best served by confidentiality, such as the discussion of pending lawsuits, sensitive personnel issues, or the pricing of property purchase or sale.

 

Guide Table of Contents

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

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