A small group of Forest Park residents are criticizing village officials for what they say is a lack of transparency around recent potential zoning code updates.
“I can’t speak as to whether these zoning changes are good, bad or indifferent because I don’t know anything more about the zoning than I did when I started this process,” Michelle Fitz-Henry told commissioners during the public comment section of Monday’s council meeting.
The process she referred to began at the first October village council meeting, when commissioners voted to table an ordinance amending Forest Park’s zoning code, which would have allowed hundreds of nonconforming buildings in residential districts to align with the village’s code and current land use patterns.
The planning and zoning commission, which recommended the village council approve the ordinance, held three public meetings in February, March and April, announcing them in the Forest Park Review newspaper.
Although no residents shared public comments at any of the meetings, those at the Oct. 28 village council meeting said they wanted to know what transpired.
Fitz-Henry said there’s no video recordings or minutes of the three commission meetings earlier this year that discussed the changes to Title 9, Chapter 3 of the zoning code – which the village council tabled for a second time at its last meeting.
After Fitz-Henry submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to see meeting transcripts, she said she received a transcript from the April commission meeting and minutes from the ones in February and March. But she said that, under the “approval of minutes” section for those two meetings, the document says “no minutes.” Fitz-Henry said the village told her the February and March meetings had no transcripts because a court reporter is only required to be present when there’s an official hearing.
The February and March meetings lack clear minutes, which according to the Illinois Open Meetings Act, must include a summary of everything that is proposed, discussed or decided.
“The Open Meetings Act was enacted to protect the citizens’ right to know the actions and the reasonings of a public body’s decisions,” Fitz-Henry said. “That didn’t happen.”
“Something’s broken here,” Fitz-Henry added. “This process doesn’t only not scream public and transparent, it doesn’t even whisper it.”
Resident Thomas Kovac said he couldn’t find information about what happened at the three meetings, either.
Kovac questioned the reasoning behind the zoning code updates and whether they were proposed as special favors to benefit private developers.
Mayor Rory Hoskins told the Review that Kovac has freedom of speech and “we don’t really act on public comment.”
Kovac added that he’s against the zoning code updates.
“I am absolutely, strongly opposed to the proposal to amend the zoning code for the three residential districts,” Kovac said, calling it “hideous” and “horrible.”
If the zoning updates are passed, Kovac said those living next to R3 zoning districts, or high-density residential districts, could experience the construction of 60-foot-high buildings with 80% lot coverage and no minimum setback from the property line.
Enhancing transparency
When it came time to address the tabled ordinance to update the zoning code at the Oct. 28 village council meeting, Hoskins said the council wasn’t quite ready to vote on the agenda item.
“There wasn’t really a consensus on a way to go,” Hoskins told the Review after the meeting. “I don’t know what could’ve been said the other night that would’ve been productive.”
“We had commissioners who still had questions,” Village Administrator Rachell Entler said, “that either I haven’t been able to answer yet or that have come up.” She added that she has a list of queries about stormwater management and density to address at a later meeting.
Entler said that, after she answers these questions, the village council can choose to accept the zoning code updates as is, make amendments and approve them as a village council, or send the code back to the planning commission with what they want changed.
At the Oct. 15 council meeting, Commissioner of Public Property Jessica Voogd and Commissioner of Streets and Public Improvements Michelle Melin-Rogovin had questions about how the code updates would impact stormwater management and building density.
While Commissioner of Accounts and Finance Maria Maxham agreed with Voogd and Melin-Rogovin to table the vote, Maxham previously told the Review that she thinks the code updates are ready to be approved. Commissioner of Public Health and Safety Ryan Nero did not agree to table the vote.
Voogd said she partially voted to table the agenda item at the first October meeting because she wanted more public feedback.
Those who gave public comment at the Oct. 28 meeting, including Voogd’s husband, Daniel Marcus, agreed.
“I want to thank the council for taking the time to discuss this in an open fashion for the public’s sake,” Marcus said in an emailed public comment. “As much as the PZC is advisory, you all are the decision makers.”
Marcus suggested the village host a town hall to discuss the zoning code changes and called for all public meetings to be recorded and posted online, like village council meetings are.
“I see a wonderful opportunity for the village to further enhance transparency by recording and streaming public meetings that discuss issues directly impacting a majority of residents and/or businesses,” Marcus said.
Entler told the Review that she is working through the logistics of recording public meetings. The village’s recording system, she said, will need to be updated, and enough village staff must be present at meetings to meet retention requirements.
“We will work together to make sure the decision is made for the best of Forest Park moving forward,” Nero said at the last village council meeting. “Although that might take some time, or maybe too fast for some folks, in our hearts are the residents of Forest Park.”
