Dome Of Disunity? Councilman Joe Clement, Mayor Terry D'Arcy Spar Over Art Sculpture

JOLIET, IL — Monday night's discussion-only meeting of the Joliet City Council turned into one of the most controversial sessions since Terry D'Arcy became mayor as his proposal for making Joliet a Dome of Unity community has generated enormous backlash against him and City Hall.

Tuesday night's 6:30 p.m. meeting is when the final vote will be taken, and it appears that D'Arcy may have to cast the tie-breaking vote in order to get Council approval on the $197,000 sculpture of Los Angeles-based artist Sijia Chen.

Councilwoman Suzanna Ibarra and Councilman Pat Mudron were quoted in last Friday's City Hall news release, expressing their support for the sculpture. At least four Council members — Jan Quillman, Joe Clement, Juan Moreno and Larry Hug — are expected to vote against it.

On Monday night, after Quillman finished her fiery speech criticizing the Dome of Unity and the artist recommended for the work, Councilwoman Ibarra remarked, "I just want to say, Jan, that art is subjective. You might think it looks terrible, and I might think it looks fantastic.

"So if we can just agree on one thing, that not everybody is going to agree on what is good and what art isn't good. This is a very world-renowned artist. I knew her before they ever picked her, mentioned her and as far as the factories and the black soot, you voted for those factories, Jan. Thank you."

"Mayor, she's out of line, please," Quillman responded.

"That's a fact," Ibarra responded.

Next, Ron Romero came to the podium and said he was chairman of the Joliet arts commission when the Dome of Unity was selected for Joliet's future downtown city square

"A couple things that need to be clear is the wiffle ball, as you refer to, is what's called a placeholder. It's not a final project," Romero explained. "The collaboration with the city and the residents here is forthcoming. The idea was, as it was presented, was to create a website where the citizens of Joliet can have input into that. That's not the final picture that you're looking at. That's the first thing. They want to get from students, they want to get from people who live here, they want to see what represents the city.

"Part one. Part two is that also increases our pride in ownership. That statue that is out there is representative of the people of Joliet. It was selected by majority, originally, it will continue to be worked on by the citizens here in Joliet to finish the final look of that appeal, of that art piece as well, so I think there's a little misconception that that's it, that's what we get and that's all it is ... But one thing that hurts, you know, I have some things that we're doing in the city, and we really believe in the city, but to have anybody, especially in this forum here, put down the people who voted about it, not know that they're going to have a chance to put the input into it, and have pride in ownership, here in Joliet, that's what disappoints me."

During the City Council discussion, Councilman Joe Clement remarked, "I respect everybody that came here tonight in the audience that supports this unity dome, I really do, and I mean no disrespect. I think we have lost our minds, seriously," Clement announced. "I respect the art, I do, let us finish the project first. It's been $22 million on water and the infrastructure that we're going to do with the square. The dome is not going to bring anybody downtown. I'm not going to downtown Joliet because of the dome. Let's save the $197,000 and let's regroup. I'm not against all this, but what we're doing it right now, we're forcing it down our throats. The 3,000 people, are they from Joliet? Are they from Will County? Are they from Cook County? Are they from LA? I don't know. And again, I don't mean any disrespect. None of this is personal to me.

"None of this is personal, I think we have lost our minds. $197,000. Every day someone comes up here wanting to fix a pothole, or a tree, or this or that, and we're talking about $197,000 on a Dome of Unity. I do not need for me a dome to say we're united," Clement declared. "And I just think we're spending money that we don't have to spend, that's just my opinion ... and I would like to have something that reflects Joliet, the blue-collar town. Something from US Steel. And maybe that's not it, maybe it is it. Maybe we have an arch full of limestone and steel ... I respect and applaud all the art, but I think we have lost our minds, I really do."

After hearing Quillman and Clement speak negatively about his Dome of Unity project, Mayor Terry D'Arcy had something to say — he talked about the city of Joliet's rising health insurance costs.

"This has been the elephant in the room since I learned about this shortly after becoming mayor ... It was struck in 2016 by this City Council, by a previous mayor, and three of the Councilmembers are still sitting here that were here for the vote that day.

"One abstained. One voted against and one voted it and it passed. Now, who knew that health insurance over the next 14 years was going to be one of the most expensive changes in the gross domestic product. I've never sat at any collective bargaining agreement that went beyond the three or four-year board of that agreement. So I brought this up a few times, Bob (Okon), you're here, John (Ferak), you're probably listening, so I understand that we're talking about money, so let me just share some of what I call my fifth-grade math, OK?

"This year, we're going to insure 1,590 people, half employed, and half retired, $37 million unfunded. That's $711,000 per week. Per week," D'Arcy repeated. "If I really break it down, that's $4.74 per resident, per week, that's $246 per year for all 150,000 residents, that equals $37 million. We have a Rolls-Royce Blue Cross plan in this city that cannot be changed until 2030 without conversation with our collective bargaining agreements ...

"I didn't want to bring this up tonight, but as long as we want to talk about $197,000 or everything else, I didn't sit here for that deal," D'Arcy raised his voice in anger. "And I'll be damned if I can sit here as a taxpayer, now I can go out to that podium and I can reverse my conversation but by God, Kevin (Sing, finance director) figured out that by 2030 when this deal is over, where are we going to be spending, Kevin, unfunded?"

Sing answered the mayor, "The annual costs of insurance ... should be about $65 to $70 million."

"OK," D'Arcy continued. "So, we're going to be over a million dollars a week for we the taxpayers to pay for a health insurance plan that was put into this city in 2016 by the previous administration. I'm not OK with that. I don't (think) $197,000 is any small amount of money, but when you're the captain of the Titanic and you know that damn iceberg's out there, you've got to really watch what you're doing. But at least some of the unions are sitting with us right now to talk about this. I didn't want to bring this up. I am the last person that wants to make a negative comment on this wonderful city, but when I hear things and this stuff gets overlooked, man, we're reaching for nickels and dimes by the hundreds flying over our heads, we're not paying attention.

"But I want this out in the public. I want our public to know that in 2016 this Council made a decision to invest, to spend a lot of money. Because you invest in art, you spend in other things. I can't blame the unions that put that deal together because most of them are gone anyway, but by God, we've got to do something that, so I just want everybody to know that there's a huge problem in this city, and I've made it aware two or three times and I make it loud and clear that somebody needs to hear this and somebody needs to look into this. So, John Ferak, if you want your clickbait team to do something, why don't you take a look at this one, buddy. Bob, I'm offering you the chance to take a look at something that's really, really strong for the city. And when I sit here and listen to the grocery tax that I got blamed on, you know what, OK, but what are we going to do with this problem because this one keeps me up at night, as a taxpayer and now as mayor."

In closing, D'Arcy said, "So Joe, I respect your $197,000. What do you think we're going to do with $711,000 grand a week? Right now?"

Clement responded, remarking, "Well, Terry, this didn't start yesterday, it started in 1990. OK? Before you were living in the city, before I was here. This started years ago, and there were councilmen and women up here that spent $1 million a year in their own district. Which was absurd. So don't turn around and say that iceberg's happening today," Clement raised his voice. "This has been going on for years and years ..."

D'Arcy interrupted Clement by saying, something about "2016" as Clement continued talking over him, snapping, "this has been going on for years and years and years and years. It didn't start in 2016. Started years and years ago, Terry, Mister Mayor."

"OK," D'Arcy responded. "We're bringing it to light now."

"Bring it to light, yeah" Clement hollered. "Well, let's deal with it. It didn't start eight years ago. This thing has been going since 1990."

"And it goes until 2030," the mayor interjected.

"We will address it. $197,000 for a sculpture is ridiculous," Clement shouted. "Those are my comments, Mister Mayor."