Recent 'Chaos' Embarrasses Me: Elmhurst Park Official

ELMHURST, IL – This week's Elmhurst park board meeting got so heated that members called for a break to cool things down, but the session continued.

One member told another that "you should practice your psychology at the office," prompting the board president to say the comment was uncalled for. That triggered calls for a break.

The issue over where to build the bandshell at Wilder Park continues to divide the Elmhurst Park District's board. On May 27, the board held an informal vote in which 4 members supported the consultants' recommendation of a place east of the historic Wilder Mansion, while three others dissented.

Since then, residents have banded together, calling for the public's feedback in the decision and issuing a survey on the location. They say a bandshell near the mansion would interfere with the sight lines to Elmhurst's trademark building.

At 6 p.m. Monday, the board plans to meet at the Wilder Mansion to tour the four possible sites for the bandshell, which voters approved as part of a referendum last November.

After the tour, the park district's executive director, Jim Rogers, said he and the district's consultants would "ideally" like the board to return to its meeting room and provide direction on how to proceed.

However, members Vince Spaeth, Tim Sheehan and Carolyn Ubriaco objected. They said the board agreed at a previous meeting to put out a second survey on the bandshell's location. The previous survey included no specific question on the site, though Rogers said "dozens and dozens" commented on that issue anyway.

Spaeth said the district should take its time to decide. He called the first survey "convoluted."

"If it delays that by a month or two, that's no big deal in the life of the park," he said. "If it takes to December to do this right, let's do that."

During his comments, member Claire Kubiesa interrupted, but Spaeth said, "Let me finish, please. I'll talk, and then I'll be finished."

Member Carolyn Ubriaco said the district was in a "terrible spot."

"I'm sitting here and can't even believe what I am listening to, I can't believe the chaos," she said. "I am shocked and embarrassed."

The board, she said, jumped to a decision in May about a permanent change to a park without the public's feedback. She said the district did not take the proper steps.

"That's your opinion," the board's president, Kevin Graf, said.

"Anything that comes out of my mouth is my opinion," she replied.

Ubriaco later said, "I'm sorry if some don't care for the passion in this discussion."

Kubiesa sought to interject, but then told Ubriaco, "Go ahead."

"That's very generous of you, Claire," Ubriaco said.

Ubriaco continued by saying that in her 22 years on the board, she has fought battles over land use because the community cares.

"They can't sit at this table, but I can, and that's what I'm here for," Ubriaco said. "So what you're hearing me say are things I'm hearing out in the community. We owe it to the community to respect good process."

She said the board hasn't made a land-use decision in one night before, as others suggested the board do next Monday. Graf disagreed, saying the board has acted that quickly before.

Kubiesa said it was fine to be upset.

"I understand you are both very upset about what is going on," Kubiesa said, apparently referring to Ubriaco and Spaeth. "It's not OK to yell at another board member in a meeting or ever."

"Excuse me, Claire, I am not upset," Ubriaco said. "I'm vocalizing my disagreement. I disagree with your characterization that I was yelling at anyone."

Then Ubriaco told Kubiesa, a psychologist, "Honestly, I think that perhaps you should practice your psychology at the office and not at the board table."

"Carolyn, that was uncalled for," Graf said. "Please stop."

Other board members called for a break. The recording broke for a moment, but members continued.

Board members talked for a couple more minutes about the bandshell and moved on to other topics.

Ubriaco's comment wasn't the first in the bandshell debate to prompt objections. It also happened in July.