An 'Arbitrary' Rules Change In Burr Ridge?

BURR RIDGE, IL — Since late last month, Burr Ridge has changed its rules dealing with political signs. After repeated inquiries, Grasso acknowledged he made the decision.

The change to the rules was apparently made after village police removed signs for Village Board candidates on both sides of the political divide.

According to police reports, the signs were removed because they were in the village's right of way. The actions were taken at the direction of interim Village Administrator Evan Walter, whom Grasso appointed in the fall, police said.

According to its Feb. 26 weekly newsletter, the village said its policy was to take "inappropriately placed signs" to Village Hall and give owners seven days to pick them up or they would be disposed of. Another part of the same newsletter put the deadline at 10 days.

In the newsletter a week later, the seven-day deadline remained, but the village added in bold, "Political signs will not be retrievable until after an election is over."

The village's ordinance on signs states violators are fined $50 for each one in violation. The owners of signs can pick up the signs after payment of fines, but must do so within three weeks or the signs can be disposed of. The ordinance included no references to seven- or 10-day deadlines.

Over the weekend, Patch asked Grasso who made the decision to change the rules. He said in an email Monday neither he nor Walter amended the sign rules.

"Your premise is incorrect," Grasso said in an email to Patch.

When told again the newsletters showed the change to the rules, Grasso said sign violators can pick up their signs if they admit violations and pay $50 per sign.

"Doubt that is realistic to expect or likely to occur," the mayor said. "With that in mind, we wanted to avoid allowing continuous, numerous signs being placed in numerous public right of ways and clover leaf areas, and then return the signs to the violating campaigns. That would not be effective enforcement of the sign ordinance. We also cannot assume who is violating the sign ordinance (as it appears to be done under cover of night) and simply issue citations on an assumption. Is that what The Patch is striving for?"

In a later phone interview, Grasso said he decided to change the rules. Asked what power he had to do that, he said it was his understanding that Walter, the administrator, polled the trustees who are not running in the April 6 election about their views of the policy change. A consensus of trustees supported the change, Grasso said.

In an email Friday, Walter said village staff removed signs for trustee candidates and mayoral critics Zach Mottl and Elena Galinski's campaigns as well as those of the 1-2-3 for Burr Ridge group, which supports candidates Guy Franzese, Anita Mital and Russell Smith, who are part of the mayor's coalition.

"I will not tolerate favoritism towards any campaign or viewpoint, Village or otherwise," Walter said. "I direct my staff to monitor as many Village roads as possible, remove signs that are found to be in unpermitted locations, and that message of the sign should not affect our enforcement."

In an email, Trustee Franzese, chairman of the 1-2-3 for Burr Ridge political action committee, said his group's signs have been removed for being placed in the right of way, violating the village's ordinance. The signs have been impounded, he said.

"We are fortunate to have many residents wanting our signs for placement on their property (private property). Even with our best efforts to relay the Sign Ordinance criteria to the residents, a few signs ended up being placed inadvertently in the Public Right-of Way. Those signs have since been removed by Village Staff," Franzese said. "We understand our mistake and are striving to ensure that all of our signs are placed properly in full compliance with the Village of Burr Ridge Sign Ordinance."

Asked about the policy change, Mottl, an incumbent trustee, said over the weekend that the rules were "arbitrary, discriminatory and in violation of my First Amendment rights."

"Unfortunately, abusing his power and using village resources for personal gain and to punish a political opponent is typical of Mayor Grasso and his rubberstamp board," Mottl said in a text message.

Grasso, who is running unopposed in his re-election bid, said the policy is being applied consistently no matter the candidate or cause. The village is seeking a balanced policy that can deal with the "intentional proliferation" of signs.