Algonquin Township petition seeks to post township board meeting packets online

Algonquin Township electors filed a petition Tuesday to add an agenda item to the annual township meeting on April 14 regarding the publication of all meeting packets before board meetings.

The effort was led by Kathryn Potter, a Democratic precinct committeeperson for Algonquin Township, who said by allowing meeting attendees to view agenda information ahead of time, results will be nothing but positive.

"We're increasing engagement by transparency," Potter said.

According to the township code, any 15 or more registered voters in the township may request an agenda item for consideration by the electors at the annual meeting by giving written notice of a specific request to the township clerk no later than

March 1 before the annual meeting. Potter said she collected the minimum of 15 signatures.

The agenda published by the township board shall include any such request made by voters if the request is relevant to powers granted to electors under the township code.

During an annual township meeting, the attending electors - defined in the township code as registered to vote within the township no less than 28 days before the date of the annual meeting - hold voting authority.

Although the Open Meetings Act requires that a public body with a website that full-time staff maintain also shall post on its website the agenda of any regular meetings of the governing body of that public body, there are no requirements for the online posting of meeting packets.

Since Algonquin Township does not have full-time staff maintaining its website, the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor has told the Northwest Herald that Algonquin Township is not required to post agendas of meetings online, which it stopped doing in April 2019.