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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Jennifer Stallings, City Clerk
DATE: August 2, 2024
SUBJECT:
A Resolution concerning the authorization of the destruction of certain closed session meeting audio recordings.
PURPOSE:
Requesting City Council approval to destroy certain verbatim records (audio recordings) of the closed session meetings.
BACKGROUND:
Pursuant to section 120/2.06(c) of the Open Meetings Act, a municipality may destroy the verbatim records of closed session meetings after eighteen (18) months of the completion of the meeting but only after the public body approves the destruction of a particular recording and the public body approves the minutes of the closed meeting that meet the written minutes requirements.
DISCUSSION:
The Council is permitted by the Open Meetings Act to destroy the verbatim recordings of Closed Sessions and best practice is to control the volume of records by regularly destroying records when legally appropriate.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
The timely destruction of records will ensure the volume of unnecessary records maintained by the city is controlled.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
To approve the destruction of the verbatim records from Closed Session meetings held on the dates in the corresponding Resolution.
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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A Resolution Authorizing the Destruction of Certain Closed Session Meeting Audio Recordings.
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the provisions of the Open Meetings Act require the verbatim recording of all Closed Session meetings of all governmental bodies; and
WHEREAS, the Open Meetings Act permits governmental bodies to destroy the verbatim record of closed meetings without notification to, or the approval of, a Records Commission or the State Archivist not less than eighteen (18) months after the completion of the meeting recorded, but only after it approves the destruction of a particular recording and has approved written Minutes of the closed meeting; and
WHEREAS, the written Minutes of the following Closed Sessions of the City Council have met the requirements of the Open Meetings Act and the audio recordings may now be permanently destroyed:
April 11, 2017 April 25, 2017 May 2, 2017
July 11, 2017 July 18, 2017 Aug. 15, 2017
Aug. 22, 2017 September 5, 2017 Sept. 26, 2017
Oct. 3, 2017 October 10, 2017 November 7, 2017
November 21, 2017 December 12, 2017 Jan. 2, 2018 January 16, 2018 January 23, 2018 Feb. 27, 2018
March 20, 2018 May 8, 2018 May 29, 2018
June 5, 2018 June 19, 2018 July 17, 2018
August 14, 2018 September 11, 2018 Sept. 18, 2018
September 25, 2018 November 6, 2018 Nov. 28, 2018
December 18, 2018 January 15, 2019 January 22, 2019
March 12, 2019 April 23, 2019 June 18, 2019
July 23, 2019 Sept. 3, 2019 Sept. 17, 2019
Nov. 5, 2019 August 18, 2020 Sept. 8, 2020
July 13, 2021 February 1, 2022 August 23, 2022
October 11, 2022
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: that the audio recordings of the Closed Session Meetings of the City Council herein identified and held prior to October 12, 2022 (within 18 months), shall be permanently destroyed.