Crest Hill council tables Jan. 12 work‑session minutes after debate over remote attendance rules

The Crest Hill City Council on Jan. 19 voted to table approval of the Jan. 12 work‑session minutes after a dispute over whether a council member's remote participation met the city's ordinance and the Open Meetings Act.

Alderman Dorel Jefferson said the record reflected that the remote attendee was "out of town" and that the city's ordinance permits remote attendance only for specified reasons such as personal illness, city business or an unexpected childcare obligation. Jefferson pressed staff for clarity, saying the work session minutes should not stand if the remote attendance did not comply.

City Attorney Mike Steff said the city's ordinance was amended to mirror the Open Meetings Act and that staff had differing recollections about whether the absence qualified as employment or city business. "Again, you amended your ordinance to mirror the Open Meetings Act," Steff said, and cautioned that the legal interpretation could vary.

Members debated whether actions taken at the prior work session were therefore void; some aldermen said they would seek a separate legal opinion. To allow the attorney time to research and to avoid finalizing minutes that might be defective, the council moved to table item 6B (the Jan. 12 work‑session minutes). The motion to table passed on a roll call with six yes votes and one no.

Council members said the city clerk will note the status of the remote attendance in the minutes and staff would follow up with the council attorney for clarification before the next meeting.