Elmhurst Aldermen Push Again For Greater Openness

ELMHURST, IL – It's been more than two years since a trio of Elmhurst aldermen asked the City Council to consider recording its committee meetings.

But the council has not acted.

They and a new alderman are renewing the request.

On Monday, the council is set to vote on whether to send the proposal to one of its committees.

The aldermen are Ward 3's Michael Bram, Ward 2's Karen Sienko, Ward 7's Rex Irby and Ward 5's Dan Virgil, who was elected in April.

In a memo, they said nothing can substitute for attending meetings in person to get an in-depth understanding of various topics.

"The next best way for Elmhurst residents to understand what is being discussed on their behalf would be a video recording," the aldermen said.

At the very least, they said, the city should provide audio recordings. City Council meeting videos are posted on YouTube.

"This reinforces Elmhurst's goal of being a transparent community," they said.

They noted that Elmhurst School District 205 posts committee videos online.

Over the years, aldermen have said much of their real work gets done in committees.

Earlier this year, Mayor Scott Levin said he may change his mind as a result of the aldermen's proposal, but he said he was against recording meetings.

"People need to speak freely," Levin said. "It's so easy to take a piece of a clip that's recorded and use it against the person who says it."

He also said it could be intimidating for residents who want to speak at committee meetings. They, too, could become the victim of out-of-context clips posted online, he said.

Under council rules, the 2023 request from the aldermen expired April 30. But the rules allow it to be resubmitted.

The four committees are Development, Planning and Zoning; Finance, Council Affairs and Administrative Services; Public Affairs and Safety; and Public Works.