Elmhurst Mayor May Get Emergency Powers

ELMHURST, IL — The Elmhurst City Council plans to hold a special meeting Monday night to consider giving Mayor Steve Morley temporary emergency executive powers in response to the coronavirus. This action requires amending the city's code.

With the powers, the mayor can suspend or relocate council meetings, make provisions for temporary emergency housing, approve requests for state and federal help, and transfer functions of city departments if disaster services are needed. He also would have the ability to close public facilities, along with any other action deemed necessary to address a civil emergency.

If the powers are approved, they would expire at the next regular City Council meeting, unless the council agrees to extend them.

The council had already planned to meet Monday night, but it needed to call for a the special meeting because the expansion of the mayor's powers was not on the meeting agenda.

The special meeting will be held following the regular council session, which is set for 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 209 N. York St. The meeting also will be live on YouTube.

Late last week, the city announced one of its employees was under self-quarantine because a family member may have been exposed to a person with a confirmed case of coronavirus. The person had contact with the general public earlier in the week, the city said.

The city said it would keep City Hall open, but encouraged residents to conduct any business online or by phone if possible.