Burr Ridge Trustee Defends Himself

BURR RIDGE, IL — Burr Ridge Trustee Zach Mottl this week called for a "reset" in his relationship with fellow trustees, some of whom are calling for his resignation. He also pointed to an area where he could do better.

At the same time, some of his colleagues demanded he apologize for his criticism of village administration and Patricia Schiappa, wife of Trustee Tony Schiappa.

This exchange happened during a village board meeting Monday. Mayor Gary Grasso was absent, as he said he would be a couple weeks ago.

At a meeting last month, the board barred Mottl from participating by phone and then proceeded to spend half the time criticizing his behavior. They said he violated the village's rule requiring trustees to notify village hall of their absence at least 48 hours in advance.

Trustees have said Mottl missed five meetings since last summer. Mottl said it was actually two — one when he was on vacation and the other when he was on a plane on business, which was when the board voted to censure him. The other three instances were business trips, he said. He took part by phone in two cases and tried to do so in the third, but was prohibited.

In his defense, Mottl said the 48-hour rule allows exceptions for when such notice is not practical. In this case, he said he feared for his family's safety because the mayor would let his friends know Mottl is out of town.

"I'll let you know in the morning (before the meeting). I think that's practical enough," Mottl said.

Others disagreed, saying 48 hours is reasonable. Mottl responded, "Unless you can guarantee my home's safety, I don't need the mayor telling his friends where I'm at." He said he has received threats related to his safety. He did not provide details, but he said he has referred information to the police chief.

In response to a Patch inquiry, Grasso said in an email, "When Zach is wrong — which is frequent — he plays the victim. He did not know the rule, that’s clear, so he made up an inane excuse, of course directed at me."

Mottl, who lost to Grasso in last April's mayoral election, asked the board for a "reset" of relations, noting the trustees agree on many issues. But he said every member has a right to disagree.

He said it was especially unfair for trustees to block his participation and then attack him after he was disconnected. He asked the board to revoke its censure.

Mottl also he would watch what he says. He said he has made comments under his breath during meetings. "I will refrain from that in the future," he said.

During public input, residents weighed in on the board's squabbles. Yvonne Mayer said Mottl was acting like a child and pleaded with him to improve his behavior.

She took exception to Mottl's criticism of Patricia Schiappa, the trustee's wife. During a January meeting, Mottl voted against Schiappa's appointment to a committee dealing with the U.S. Census. He said he had seen how "vicious" she had been with people around town and alleging she had gotten in trouble on social media. He added he could think of no reason she had been nominated other than that she was a trustee's wife.

Mayer said Mottl continues to lie about Patricia Schiappa and others and that she hoped someone sued him for defamation. (Grasso, a lawyer, already has done so because of Mottl's assertions that the mayor improperly took property tax exemptions.)

Another resident, John Bittner, a 2013 mayoral candidate, said the board was wrong to bar Mottl from participating in a meeting and then attacking him afterward.

"I would like this board to make a new rule. You can't pick on a trustee unless they're here," Bittner said. "It was absolutely wrong what you did, and you should be ashamed of yourselves."

Trustee Schiappa said Mottl's statements about his wife were untrue. He said Mottl should not have accused Patricia Schiappa of "vicious attacks." He said when he searched "vicious attacks" on the internet, the results showed "terrorists doing bad things to innnocent people."

"That's what you called my wife — a terrorist," Trustee Schiappa said. "She's not that person. I want an apology and a retraction."

Mottl said the trustees also have described him in negative terms.

"You're entitled to your opinion of me. You have used words such as abhorrent," Mottl said.

But he said he was not going to get into arguments about such criticism. "All of us as trustees are peers. We are entitled to our opinions. We can debate the merits of issues. I won't force you to like me," he said.

Trustee Guy Franzese, who presided over the meeting in the mayor's absence, said he appreciated Mottl's extension of the olive branch.

"The golden rule is that you treat others as you wish to be treated. I haven't seen that lately, not since the election," Franzese said. "I want (Mottl) to apologize. That will go a long way to healing the relationships of this board."