River Forest resident Deborah Borman recently submitted a request to the Illinois Attorney General to review what she believes to be a violation of the Open Meetings Act by Village President Cathy Adduci.
Adduci has denied the charges, but the attorney general’s office asked for further information, at least some of which has already been provided.
The complaint is related to a series of “Casual Conversations” meetings held by Adduci on Aug. 31 and Nov. 23. The meetings invited “all community members” to attend and “get answers to any questions they may have at [the] information and informational event,” Borman’s complaint states.
At the “Casual Conversations,” attendees are said to have discussed topics relating to village policy, such as zoning, development, policing and traffic.
In her complaint, Borman alleged that at the Aug. 31 meeting, Adduci and two Village Trustees were in attendance, qualifying the “Casual Conversations” event as a meeting involving the majority of a quorum.
Under the Illinois OMA, public bodies are required to conduct their business in public, which involves providing advance notice of meetings, the posting of an agenda, allowing public comment at meetings and maintaining written minutes.
Because the “Casual Conversations” meetings involved the majority of a quorum and failed to post agendas and maintain minutes, Borman alleged that they took place in violation of the OMA.
In her complaint, Borman also claimed that at the Nov. 23 “Casual Conversations” meeting, three village trustees attended, along with Adduci. Prior to the meeting, Borman alleges, Adduci approached at least two of the trustees and requested that they not speak at the meeting for fear of incurring an OMA violation.
Borman’s complaint was submitted Dec. 1 and on Dec. 23.
Adduci received a letter from the Office of the Attorney General indicating that the office had deemed Borman’s complaint worthy of further inquiry and asking that Adduci provide a response to Borman’s allegations within seven days.
On Jan. 3, Village Administrator Matt Walsh submitted a written response to the Senior Assistant Attorney General of the Public Access Bureau Shannon Barnaby. In the response, Walsh clarified the purpose of the events, saying they were held to “provide an informal venue for residents to ask questions or express concerns to the Village President regarding Village operations and affairs.
Walsh also asserted that the events were advertised prior to being held, including in various Village publications, on social media, in weekly e-newsletters and on the Village website. In attendance, Walsh said, were Adduci, Village Trustee Kathleen Brennan, Village Trustee Erika Bachner, Village Trustee Bob O’Connell, Director of Public Works & Engineering Jack Bielak, himself and approximately 15 residents. This makeup, he claimed, does not qualify as a majority of a quorum of board members.
Walsh did affirm that Adduci asked that each of the three trustees in attendance avoid speaking during the “Casual Conversations” event so as to “avoid deliberating public business outside of a properly posted meeting.” Adduci made clear to attendees that Trustees Brennan, Bachner and O’Connell were present but unable to speak due to the number of trustees in attendance at the meeting, Walsh claimed.
The meeting involved an approximately 90-minute discussion of topics including “traffic control measures, crime reporting, homeless population, special events and recreation opportunities,” Walsh wrote in the response. However, Walsh asserted that there was no deliberation between elected officials and no public business was acted upon during the event.
“There are no allegations that suggest or support that there was a deliberation or even discussion about Village business between Board members and the Village’s evidence of people present state that no deliberations occurred,” Walsh wrote in the claim.
For this reason, Walsh asserted, there is not sufficient evidence to find that the “Casual Conversations” meetings violated the OMA.
In an interview with the Wednesday Journal, Adduci denied any violation of the OMA and said the “Casual Conversations” meetings were created as a way for the “small, but mighty” community of River Forest to engage in order to help the community.
“We created this purely to listen to our residents on issues that were important to them,” Adduci said.
