Compliance Requirements (Boards, Commissions, and Committees)

City of Evanston Council, Boards, Commissions, and Committees Compliance Requirements Account 

As a member of the City Council or a City board, committee, or commission, the City code requires you to submit an annual Financial Disclosure and Affiliation Statement (City Code section 1-10-3), read and adhere to City of Evanston Code of Ethics, Adhere to the Open Meetings Act. Per state law (5 ILCS 120), complete the electronic Open Meetings Act training.

All forms must be completed and submitted electronically to the City Clerk’s Office via Submittable under “City of Evanston Boards, Commissions, and Committees Compliance Requirements.”

Open Meetings Act Training

The Illinois Open Meetings Act [5 ILCS 120/] was enacted to protect the citizens' right to know the actions and reasoning of public body decisions, since the purpose of a public body is to assist the people. The statute fosters open meetings and is construed against closed meetings. The Act is important to local government because it contains the rules and requirements for all meetings, notifications, and manner of conducting them.

The Act applies to all library boards and any subsidiary bodies including but not limited to committees and subcommittees that are supported in part by tax revenues.

The Open Meetings Act defines a meeting as "any gathering of a majority of a quorum" of the members of a public body held for the purpose of meeting to discuss public business, regardless of what communication format is used. For library boards composed of six, seven, or nine members, a majority of a quorum is three members. The majority of a quorum for committees of such boards would be as few as two members.

Each elected or appointed member of a public body subject to this Act who becomes such a member after January 1, 2012 (the effective date of Public Act 97-504) shall successfully complete the electronic training curriculum developed and administered by the Public Access Counselor. For these members, the training must be completed not later than the 90th day after the date the member:
        (1) takes the oath of office, if the member is required to take an oath of office to assume the person's duties as a member of the public body; or
        (2) otherwise assumes responsibilities as a member of the public body, if the member is not required to take an oath of office to assume the person's duties as a member of the governmental body.

Each member successfully completing the electronic training curriculum shall file a copy of the certificate of completion with the public body.

Elected and Appointed Officials

Elected and appointed members of public bodies, and others designated by their public bodies to complete training, can login or register for the training portal below.

• Create an account via the Illinois Attorney General's website : (Open Meetings Act (OMA) Training Portal)
• Click here for an Instructional guide on registering an account and completing the OMA certification training
• Log into an existing account 

Educational Materials on the Open Meetings Act:

City of Evanston Code of Ethics 

The public’s trust in governing bodies is enhanced when citizens are confident that personal or business interests will not influence the decision-making of elected, appointed, and employed officials. Evanston’s Code of Ethics was created to ensure that – 

…elected and appointed officers and employees perform their duties for the benefit of the citizens of the city. They shall conduct the affairs of the city with integrity and impartiality, without allowing prejudice, favoritism, or the opportunity for personal gain to influence their decisions or actions or to interfere with serving the public interest. City of Evanston officials, staff, and volunteer members of boards, committees, and commissions will 

The Code applies to “any officer or employee of the city, whether elected or appointed, paid or unpaid, including members of boards and commissions appointed by the city mayor or city council.” A Board of Ethics interprets the Ethics Code; advises persons as to its application; adjudicates and renders decisions on complaints alleging violations; and retains financial-disclosure records, statements, registrations, reports, and complaints. 

The main topics of concern in the Code of Ethics are-

• Impartiality: working for the benefit of the entire community, without partiality, prejudice, or bias. 
• Unauthorized use of public property – city-owned vehicles, equipment, materials, or property – for personal convenience or profit. 
• Conflict of interest: use of public office for private gain. 

The standards of the Code are intended to supplement and comply with the provisions regarding municipal officers in 65 Illinois Compiled Statutes and 50 Illinois Compiled Statutes 105/1 et seq., and any other state statutes or ordinances of the city relating to ethical conduct for city officers and employees.