Northern Star

Police search for $100 bill counterfeiter

By Rachel Helfrich | April 22, 2003

DeKalb police issued a warning following the discovery of a counterfeit $100 bill by a local bank employee. The bill originally was printed as a $1 bill that allegedly was "washed" by the counterfeiters who then reprinted it as a $100 bill, according...

Questionable SA bill unearthed

By Nick Swedberg | April 21, 2003

The Student Association is subject to the Illinois Open Meetings Act, according to a 5-year-old SA bill; however, SA executives question the validity of the bill. The Northern Star obtained a copy of a bill, dated Nov. 1, 1998, which amends the SA bylaws...

Home sweet dorm

By Shivangi Potdar | April 21, 2003

For some NIU students living in the residence halls, creative efforts dedicated to beautifying their rooms have translated into fame and fortune. This is the first time RHA has shown recognition for the students' time and creativity spent in making a...

Huskies fall to W. Michigan

By Ian Waddick | April 21, 2003

Both NIU and Western Michigan knew it was going to be a close finish. With identical MAC records heading into the final conference meet of the year, both women's tennis teams needed a win to grab the No. 3 seed in next week's MAC Tournament. The meet...

Baseball tied for first place

By Adam Zolmierski | April 21, 2003

With the NIU baseball team's first win in Sunday's doubleheader, the Huskies reached 20 wins quicker than any other Huskie team since the program was reinstated in 1991. This marks the first time the Huskies have had 20 or more wins in four consecutive...

NIU wins 1 of 3

By Jason Watt | April 21, 2003

The NIU softball team managed one victory over the top team in the MAC, Marshall, this weekend at Mary Bell Field. The Huskies (17-17, 7-5 MAC) won the first game of the double header on Friday with a final of 3-1. They lost the nightcap 5-3 and Saturday...

Greeks prepare for annual evaluation

By Jeff Goluszka | April 21, 2003

Each of NIU's 37 Greek chapters has until either today or Tuesday to submit the mandatory accreditation application to the Office of Greek Affairs. As of press time, the activities adviser for Greek Affairs, Chris Juhl, had not decided which day the applications...

Summer classes moved

By Jessica King | April 21, 2003

NIU will close DuSable Hall for the summer in an effort to save money. The Office of Registration and Records already has changed class locations on TRACS. More than 100 classes had to be relocated. For example, History 171, which was to be held in DuSable...

NFL alumni return to Huskie Stadium

By Mark Pickrel | April 21, 2003

While many of the big names were missing from Huskie Stadium for Thursday's Spring Game, two of the biggest names at the game will be suiting up on a slightly bigger stage this fall. Former NIU standouts and current NFL players Ryan Diem (Indianapolis...

The Illinois Open Meetings Act

April 21, 2003

The Illinois Open Meetings Act, enacted in 1957, and amended in January 1995, states, "that public bodies exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business and that the people have a right to be informed as to the conduct of their business." Therefore it "is the intent of this Act to ensure that the actions of public bodies be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly."

The Act is a governing order that promotes public participation in local government. It requires public bodies to hold open meetings, to provide the public with notice of meeting times so that the citizens may freely attend, and to keep records of public meetings.

What is a public body?

Public bodies include all "legislative, executive, administrative or advisory bodies of the state" also agencies, committees, boards, municipalities, city councils, village boards, and school districts, including any subsidiary committee supported by or expending tax revenue.

Although citizens do not have the right to speak at the meetings, MOST public bodies hold a public comment session during their meetings.

What does it mean to be open?

Public bodies are required to give notice of their regularly scheduled meetings by making a schedule public with the dates, times and location of meetings.

The public body must also post an agenda at least 48 hours prior to each regular meeting.

Written minutes

All public bodies must keep written minutes of their meetings, whether open or closed meeting. Minutes are open to the public within 7 days of the public body's approval of the minutes. Public bodies must also review minutes from closed meetings at least every six months to make a determination in open session of whether those minutes still require that confidentiality.

Closed meetings

Public bodies may hold closed meetings provided that they state in an open session the reasons for holding a closed session.

Closed meetings may be held for :

1. The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body, including hearing tesitimony on a complaint against an employee.

2. Collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives.

3. The selection of a person to fill a public office, including a vacancy in a public office, or the discipline, performance or removal of the occupant of a public office when the public body has the power to remove such occupant under law or ordinance.

4. Land Investment Deals

5. Security Matters

6. Student Records

7. Litigation-Legal Claims

and other exceptions as stated by the Act. The Public Body must state in open session why it has closed the meetings and must take all final actions in open session.

Source: Illinois Attorney General office

UP arrest 3 in car burglaries

By Rachel Helfrich | April 21, 2003

University Police arrested three suspects after a spree of car burglaries early Thursday morning in the parking lots of NIU's west campus. UP apprehended the suspects just before 3 a.m. Thursday and the suspects were taken to the DeKalb County Jail. Anthony...

Open Meetings Act applies to SA

By Nick Swedberg | April 21, 2003

Former Student Association Senate Speaker Michael LaPidus confirmed on Monday the authenticity of the 1998 SA bill to amend the bylaws to make the SA subject to the Illinois Open Meetings Act. LaPidus, co-author of the bill, said his original intention...

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