Darien Illinois - Environmental Committee

City of Darien, Illinois

Dear Mayor and Members of the City Council,

Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from the Darien Environmental Committee, effective immediately.

Although I remain a Darien resident, I purchased another home in March of this year that I found in November 2025. I understand that I could continue serving on the Committee until I am no longer a Darien resident; however, given the circumstances, I believe now is the appropriate time for me to step down.

This decision is not a reflection of the other members of the Environmental Committee. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Even though I found this property in 2025 and knew I was moving, I still showed up and fought alongside them to not only keep the 39 year committee your Retired City Administrator Bryon Vana tried to disband overnight with the support of Joe Kenny, Mary Sullivan, and Joe Marchese. I fought with the Committee to NOT ONLY keep it, maintain it, BUT to form the goals and objectives YOU ASKED FOR BUT refuse to hear or let the public hear.

The committee is made up of dedicated residents who have continued to work hard, develop goals, and try to fulfill the responsibilities given to us. Unfortunately, despite our efforts and our willingness to meet the City's expectations, we have REPEATEDLY been prevented from moving forward, presenting our ideas, and carrying out the work we were appointed to do by the mayor and all city council members. Eric Gustafson is the only council member to step up, join the committee meetings, and actively engage. The ONLY Council member who consistently listened to the committee, supported the Committee, offered to come in REMOTELY… he did so much in so little time. I am disappointed that he has now stepped down as well, but I hold that on the city council and city administrator who caused it with the bullying I not only saw, but witnessed firsthand, and got firsthand experience when the city council and staff did the same to me. NO ONE SIGNS UP FOR THAT and It’s A LOT to ask someone to take all that abuse and keep going!

I am particularly disappointed in the actions and decisions of the Mayor, City Council, City Administration and Retired/ Still there City Administrator and their continued efforts to diminish the role of a 39-year-old Environmental Committee, followed by the lack of support even after the Committee was retained. It has been extremely discouraging, but even so WE STILL MET EVERY MONTH and are HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE. Our Agendas and Meeting Minutes we were FORCED TO TAKE OURSELVES is PROOF of the LIES the City Council Members still say, regardless of proof and truth. The ONLY month we haven’t met was July 2026, but why meet when there is no support no matter what efforts are made. All of this not to mention our inability to meaningfully address matters that fall within OUR Committee's stated responsibilities, including the City's Tree Program and our efforts to promote the planting of ONLY native trees and get the non-native trees OFF THE OFFERING LIST!

Recent decisions regarding the demolition of a historic building and the approved special-use permit in June 2026 allowing the Society of Mount Carmel to use a house at 8825 Robert Road in the Tara Hill subdivision as a residence for three or four priests and other religious occupants, therefore allowing them to move out of the Darien Historic White House and move into a residential neighborhood and demolish the Historic Home… is appalling.

Don't even get me started with the Flock Cameras and the disregard of the community's voice on it. $25,000 subscription to Urban SDK, an AI-powered traffic intelligence platform, championed by Joe Kenny. The same Alderman bullied a long time Environmental Committee member and ELDERLY WOMAN from speaking at the public city council meeting and when I spoke up for her, HE THREW HIS GLASSES AT ME! The audacity is astounding! Interestingly, he paid a $600 fee of his stipend that night to the high school students that got to witness it. Mary Sullivan who missed the meeting but came to Goals and Planning made light of him doing that saying she heard she missed a lot that night and giggling ... .absolutely repulsive. If stuff like that is not intimidation, violence, and support of it… I don't know what is. What I do know is I still stayed for it and so did the members. A very strong Committee being shadow banned by its own City! Disgusting is what it is.

During this fight to save this residential, volunteer, no budget, 39-year-old committee, stop the support of City Codes being violated… I was sent a news article from 1994 that I confirmed with The Darien Patch is in fact a legit newspaper article. Why am I not surprised? If only the internet was around in 1994, but good thing residents care so much to preserve history like this newspaper article. Funny, all the stories and now a book and THIS ISN’T IN THERE. Where is that jump? Had I known this before, I would have NEVER supported the MAYOR EVER IN ANY EFFORT and NOW, a lot more MAKES Sense.

These actions and information I have learned have contributed to my decision and have left me more than deeply disappointed in the direction being taken by the City.

I remain grateful to the members of the Environmental Committee who continue to care about Darien and its environment. I hope the City will eventually recognize the value of having residents actively involved in protecting and improving our community or that the Council is overturned. I strongly urge Darien City Residents to Stand Up and take action before it's too late, becuase the longer you wait the bigger the mess you'll have to clean up.

Sincerely,

Heather Conroy

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