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General Government

Form of Government
The Village of Hinsdale has a President and Board of Trustees form of government. The Village Board consists of a Village President and six Trustees who employ a manager to carry out their legislative and policy decisions. The Village Manager handles the day-to-day administration of the Village.

The Village also has appointed commissions and committees as follows: the Administration and Community Affairs Committee; the Environment and Public Services Committee; the Zoning and Public Safety Committee; the Plan Commission; the Park and Recreation Commission; the Zoning Board of Appeals; the Electrical Commission; the Police Pension Board; the Firefighters' Pension Board; and, the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners. 

Village Board Meetings
The President and Board of Trustees meet the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are occasionally rescheduled when necessary. All meetings are OPEN to the public. Notices of all meetings are posted at the Brush Hill train station as well as in the entrance of the Village offices. Board minutes are available in the Village Clerk's office and online. The Board of Trustees may meet in private executive session only to discuss limited matters, such as litigation, land acquisition, and personnel. Village Board Meetings are recorded and broadcast on tape-delay on Comcast Channel 6 and AT&T uVerse Channel 99.

Order of Business
Matters considered by the Village Board can be handled by one of the following actions:

Approval or Denial -- Action of the Board to indicate majority decision on matters of procedure, purchases, petitions, resolutions and recommendations is done by motion. 

Referral -- When the Board is not prepared to take definite action or when further study is needed, the Board may refer a matter to a committee, board or staff member for study. 

Ordinances -- An ordinance or an amendment to an ordinance is a legislative act and generally becomes effective after approval by the Board. 

Hearings -- On certain items, before action is taken by the Board, a public hearing is held. The time and date of the public hearing is published in the local newspaper.

Form of Agenda 
Each Village Board meeting follows a regular order of business as follows: 1) Call to Order -- Roll Call, 2) Approval of Minutes of the Previous Meeting, 3) Citizens' Petitions (This is the only time provided for citizens to address the Village Board on matters of interest.), 4) Consent Agenda, 5) Committee Reports, 6) Reports from Advisory Boards and Commissions, 7) Staff Reports. 

The agenda is generally prepared a day or two in advance of the Board meeting. Items appearing on the Consent Agenda have already been reviewed by a standing committee and recommended for action by the Board of Trustees. Other items listed will be discussed, and possibly action taken upon, during the reports of the various Board committees or under staff reports. 

Citizens are invited and encouraged to participate in all regular Board meetings. The Village President provides an opportunity for any citizen to address the Board under the item on the agenda referred to as Citizens' Petitions. Each person addressing the Board is asked to state their name and address. If the matter is presented in writing or in the form of a petition, a copy should be furnished to the Village Clerk.