Records of the Secretary

Article I. Responsibility.

The responsibility for the records of the Secretary rests ultimately with the Secretary of the Cook Memorial Public Library District (“Library”). The Secretary is responsible for keeping and maintaining appropriate records for their term in office as required by law and as set forth herein. (75 ILCS 16/30-45(g)). The Secretary is authorized to receive official correspondence and reports and to certify as to the correctness of a copy of any Library document. The Library Director is responsible to the Secretary for proper storage of the Secretary’s records, for making routine filings of certified copies of Library documents, for destroying Library documents according to appropriate regulations and established routine, for preparing the Secretary’s Audit, for arranging for periodic review of the Library records by the Library attorney and for other duties as assigned by the Secretary.

Article II. Board Minutes.

The minutes of each Board meeting shall contain:

1. The name of the Library Board.
2. The time, date and place of the meeting.
3. The kind of meeting whether regular, adjourned, etc.
4. The names of the trustees present and absent, and if any trustees participated by electronic means, and the presence of other persons attending the meeting.
5. The fact that the regular President and Secretary were present or the names of their substitutes.
6. Points of order and their disposition.
7. The text of all motions, the names of the Trustees making and seconding the motions and record of any votes taken.
8. A summary of all discussion on matters proposed, deliberated or decided.
9. The time of adjournment.

The President and Secretary for the meeting shall sign the minutes after the minutes are approved by the Board. The minutes shall be bound together in the Minute Book and stored in a fire-proof safe in the Library’s administrative office. The minutes shall be approved by the Board within 30 days of the meeting or by the second subsequent regular Board meeting, whichever is later. The minutes shall be posted on the Library’s website within 10 days of approval by the Board.

Article III. Ordinances.

“Ordinance” means an enactment, adopted by the Board, that applies to the public generally and that implements, applies, or prescribes conduct, imposes a tax, imposes a fee or fine, or assesses a penalty or that otherwise affects the rights of the public concerning the use or operation of the Library.

The number of Trustees voting “aye,” “nay” and “abstain” and the name(s) of Trustee(s) absent are recorded in the minutes and on the ordinance. Ordinances passed by the Board shall be numbered consecutively for each fiscal year. Ordinances shall be posted or published, if so required, within the time required by law and shall be effective on the day and date of such posting and publication unless otherwise determined by law. The original of each ordinance shall be signed by the President and the Secretary after the meeting during which it was enacted. The original shall be stored in a fire-proof safe in the Library’s administrative office and either the original or a certified copy of all ordinances shall be made available for public inspection during regular business hours. A certified copy of all ordinances from the last fiscal year shall be posted on the library’s website. (75 ILCS 16/1-40)

Article IV. Resolutions.

“Resolution” means a statement, adopted by the Board that establishes library policy and internal procedures for the governance of the Library.

Resolutions shall be enacted, numbered, retained and made available in the same manner as are ordinances. The original of each resolution shall be stored in a fire-proof safe in the Library’s administrative office and made available for public inspection during regular business hours.

Article V. By-Laws, Policies and Procedures.

By-laws, policies and procedures adopted by the Board and in force are a part of the Secretary’s records. Obsolete by-laws, policies and procedures are retained. The motion and subsequent action adopting or revising by-laws, policies and procedures shall be recorded in the Board minutes. The original and complete text of current by-laws, policies and procedures shall be dated with the date of the Board meeting during which it was adopted or revised, signed by the Secretary and stored in a fire-proof safe in the Library’s administrative office. A copy of all of these documents will be available at the Reference Desk at each location.

Article VI. Miscellaneous Records.

The Secretary shall maintain records of all written matter affecting the operation of the District. These shall include:

1. A copy of reports required by law including:
   1. report to the State Librarian
   2. report to the Comptroller of the State of Illinois
   3. report of receipts and disbursements including a receipt of filing with the County Clerk
   4. audit reports including:
      1. Professional Treasurer’s Audit
      2. Secretary’s Audit Committee Report
2. Reports to the Board as directed by the President.
3. Election, appointment and resignation records.
4. Contracts entered into by the Board.
5. Official correspondence directed to the Board or written by the Secretary.
6. Publisher’s certificates for legal notices required by law.
7. Meeting and hearing notices (75 ILCS 16/1-30 (d)).

Documents thus received shall be stored in a fire-proof safe in the Library’s Administrative Office. All miscellaneous records shall be retained for a period of seven years and then may be discarded selectively as permitted by law. Local Records Act (50 ILCS 205/1 et seq.)

Article VII. Audit of the Secretary.

The records of the Secretary shall be audited at the end of each fiscal year and upon a change in the office of Secretary by two other Trustees appointed by the President. The Audit of the Secretary shall examine the following:

1. Minute Book.
2. Ordinances and resolutions.
3. By-Laws, Policies and Procedures Book.

The audit report shall certify as to the accuracy of the records of the Secretary, their completeness and list the discrepancies, if any. The audit report shall be filed with the Secretary no later than ninety days after the end of the fiscal year. (75 ILCS 16/30-65(d)

Article VIII. Records Retention.

Unless otherwise noted in this policy, the records of the Secretary are retained permanently. All records of the Secretary except those dealing with subjects enumerated in the section of the By-Laws entitled “Closed Session” are available for public inspection in the Library’s administrative office during regular business hours. The Board shall review the minutes of closed sessions semi-annually to determine the continued need for confidentiality.

Date

Secretary

Revised: 05/03/95
Revised: 01/20/98
Revised: 03/20/01
Revised: 12/16/03
Revised: 03/20/07
Revised: 11/19/13
Revised: 12/17/13
Revised: 10/17/17
Revised: 10/19/21