Clarendon Hills Changes Mind On Survey Secrecy

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – Clarendon Hills decided Tuesday to keep secret the results of its survey on a controversial proposed plaza.

That was what the village stated in a response to a public records request from Patch.

When contacted subsequently, the village said it would release the results later with redactions. That was after Patch asked about the decision and presented examples of neighboring towns that revealed similar data to the public.

Officials have said they are considering replacing a downtown triangle with a plaza, which they said would make the area more inviting.

But critics argued at public meetings that the triangle's removal would reduce safety and cause traffic congestion.

In response to Patch's request, the village cited an exception under the state's open records law that allows it to keep preliminary drafts, notes and recommendations under wraps.

In the village's letter, Deputy Clerk Vicki Pries said the survey data, which includes tallies and written data, was gathered to elicit "subjective, opinion-based input" for use in officials' deliberations.

She said Hinsdale was advised by the attorney general that it could keep information in a downtown traffic survey secret.

Hinsdale officials said that was the case, but the village ultimately released all the comments and data without any apparent redactions. (A government watchdog had filed a lawsuit, despite the attorney general's opinion.)

The attorney general, Pries said, noted disclosure could discourage future participation in gathering opinions.

Pries said the Freedom of Information Act does not allow the village to withhold "purely factual material" unless it is "inextricably intertwined" with discussions before decisions are made.

That was the case with the information in question, which was not independent, purely factual data, she said.

"(T)hey are summaries of opinion-based responses gathered precisely to inform deliberations and recommendations, and they would reveal the substance of the predecisional input being used to formulate possible policy actions," Pries said.

Patch contacted Village Manager Paul Dalen and Village President Eric Tech about the village's decision.

Dalen replied that the village's consultants are still working on a downtown plan, which they plan to submit to the Village Board.

"After which, the Village expects to release the data once the redaction process has been accomplished," he said. "This has been a contentious issue, and for the sake of those who responded to the survey, under the guise of anonymity, we want to make sure any personal identifying information is removed before release."

Patch presented the following instances besides Hinsdale in which nearby public bodies released survey data, including written comments in some cases:

• Earlier this year, Lyons Township High School decided to back off its decision to keep student and teacher survey data secret. This was after Patch filed a complaint with the attorney general. Hinsdale High School District 86 has long posted such results to its website. Both school districts' questions are multiple-choice.
• In December, the Elmhurst Park District released survey data about where residents wanted a bandshell at Wilder Park, which was a controversial issue. The survey showed that an overwhelming majority of respondents preferred a site opposite to the board's majority. There was never even a suggestion in Elmhurst that the survey results would be withheld.
• In 2024, Burr Ridge released survey data on how residents felt about village services.
• Five years ago, Western Springs released survey responses, including written comments, on whether sidewalks were needed in a neighborhood. The results showed that residents were divided.