LaSalle County committee debates mailboxes vs. email for chairperson objections
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Summary
Committee members discussed whether the county board rule requiring the chairperson to notify members of objections 'in writing' should specify county mailboxes as the threshold while allowing email as a courtesy; legal staff recommended a clear, uniform minimum for receipt.
Members of the LaSalle County Committee on Appointments, Legislation and Rules reviewed proposed edits to the county board rule that requires the chairperson to notify all board members in writing of objections to ordinances, resolutions or motions within 10 business days.
A staff/legal speaker (S4) advised that the county can adopt a reliable, uniform threshold for written notice — for example, deposit into the county mailboxes — and that email could be accepted if each board member specifies email as an accepted method. Committee members raised practical concerns: some members may not check their county mailbox within 10 days, while email delivery can be uncertain or tied to members’ personal accounts.
Committee member (S1) read revised draft language that the committee agreed to advance to the full board: "Shall notify all board members by written notice in their county mailboxes and may also email the board members within 10 days with his or her objections." Members asked staff to harmonize the phrasing with existing language in section 18 (correspondence/mail to board members) and to bring a finalized draft to the full board meeting on Nov. 26 for consideration.
During the discussion, a committee member suggested substituting wording so the ordinance becomes effective if it "is not objected to by the county board chairperson within 10 business days," which would align the effective-date sentence with the reconsideration procedure in the preceding paragraph. Legal staff and members debated whether to keep the existing phrasing or revise it for clarity; the committee directed staff to refine grammar and consistency before full-board submission.
No formal amendment to the rules was adopted at the Nov. 10 committee meeting; the committee voted on appointments and then adjourned. The revised rule language will be returned to the full board for final action.