It’s about time. That’s what the CUinFP ethics workshop highlighted last week.
Six years are almost up since the ethics ordinance hit the books, if you go by what CUinFP is saying.
Six years and no committee, no action and no real commitment, it seems, to ethical governance in Forest Park”it seems like a long time when you consider how long the Business Improvement District has been in the works, how long it takes to pass legislation in Springfield, and how long it takes to build a large mixed-use condominium development.
Don’t get us wrong”we aren’t accusing anyone of actually doing anything unethical, but six years is a long time to wait to put some meat on these bare bones.
Ethical issues have certainly been raised, with accusations of violating the Open Meetings Acts, accusations of unethical bonuses for appointed committee and commission members and copies of letters flying everywhere.
Who else is going to address questions such as, “Should an elected official also serve as an appointed official?” “Should the spouse of a department employee be allowed to run for an elected office that would oversee said department?” “Should a political action committee give out bonuses for political campaigning to an appointed official?” and “Should the editor and publisher of a local newspaper [not this one] serve as an appointed official?”
On the one hand, it is very easy to make accusations if nobody is investigating them. On the other, it is very easy to get away with things if nobody is investigating.
The logical conclusion is that there is a need in town for this committee, for it to be impartial, and for it to be formed as soon as possible.
Continuing education
A sure sign of professionalism is recognizing the need for more education, and the Forest Park Police Department is demonstrating just that.
They have, we were informed, agreed to take training courses to better recognize disabilities such as epileptic seizures, flashbacks and panic attacks.
The training should help them better respond to a wider range of emergency situations and make them more aware of not only the victim’s rights, but their immediate needs. It should prove an informative and fruitful venture. We wish them the best of luck!
Fire in the sky
The fireworks in Forest Park were the best yet, this year, despite the tedious rain that began at around 3:30 p.m. on July 4 and persisted throughout the day.
A thunderstorm forced evacuation of several parks farther west, but the park district, the police department and the fire department made sure everything went off without a hitch in Forest Park.
The finale this year was quite spectacular and rumors are there will be music added to the program in the future.
The day started out sunny and bright, but rain arrived in the afternoon. Despite this, the park hosted its usual spectacular Fourth, featuring the best funnel cakes and burgers in the region.
Good work, great effort and a spectacular performance by Horizons Pyrotechnics.
