The Atlanta, Illinois, Public Library Board approved loans at its November 2013 and January 2014 meetings that were not listed on the agendas, thus violating the Open Meetings Act (OMA), according to the Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW)
The ECW has published the documents on its Illinois Leaks website. Under "old business," the agenda for the 2013 meeting lists considerations regarding seven committees. The corresponding minutes show that during a line item for one committee, the board carried a motion to take out a loan of up to $100,000 from the Atlanta National Bank.
In the agenda for the 2014 meeting, the "call to action" portion of the document lists the treasurer’s report, and during that portion of the meeting, according to the minutes, the board discussed borrowing an additional $25,000, while and a motion to increase the construction loan to $125,000 carried.
The group noted that in addition to not specifically listing the loans on the agenda, the board’s 2015 annual financial report to the Illinois comptroller did not include the loans.
The ECW got the meeting minutes and agendas through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request but said in its report that the board at first only provided the minutes, despite the request encompassing both documents.
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