Elmhurst Park Official Takes Heat For Comment

ELMHURST, IL – An Elmhurst park board member's comment about members of the audience at this week's board meeting drew objections. A colleague expressed surprise.

At the meeting, board member Meghan Scarsella was responding to residents who spoke out for seeking more public feedback on where to build a bandshell at Wilder Park. They expressed concern with a proposed site just east of Elmhurst's iconic Wilder Mansion.

Scarsella commented on the role of board member Vince Spaeth, who also called for seeking more input.

"I think that the majority of people who are here are here as a result of you (Spaeth) reaching out to them with your concerns, which I certainly respect," she said.

"Wow, wow!" Spaeth responded. "I'm going to let that go over my head."

In a statement afterward, resident Andrea Hutchinson, who started an online petition calling for more feedback, criticized Scarsella's comment.

"Commissioner Scarsella's accusation is that Commissioner Spaeth is recruiting individuals to support his concerns," Hutchinson said in a statement. "This claim not only misrepresents our efforts but also diminishes the legitimacy of our input. It tells us that our perspectives are not being taken seriously."

She continued, "We want to state unequivocally that we have not been recruited by Commissioner Spaeth, and we find Commissioner Scarsella's remarks both inaccurate and offensive."

In an email to Patch on Wednesday, Scarsella said she stood by her words. She said she did not say Spaeth was "recruiting individuals," but that he was "reaching out." She said her statement was a fair and neutral characterization.

"Any board member has the right to communicate with constituents and share concerns – that's part of representative leadership," Scarsella said. "However, when doing so, especially on a topic as important as the bandshell, it's reasonable to expect that people may respond by attending a public meeting to voice their views. That's part of the public process."

She said she valued resident feedback and welcomed differing opinions.

"My intent was simply to acknowledge the visible connection between a board member's expressed concerns and increased resident engagement," Scarsella said.

At the meeting, park board members generally agreed to seek more feedback on the bandshell's location.