That’s the story of the July 23 meeting of the River Forest Board of Trustees.
Three trustees (Dudek, Hoke and Nummer) kept trying to correct prior meetings’ minutes, questioned police department procedure and tried to get information about Village President Paris’ proposed appointments.
The three other trustees (Dillon, O’Brien and Conti) kept upholding Paris’ refusal to provide any information, supported his repeated interruptions of Trustee Dudek, and automatically accepted Paris’ stopping proceedings he disliked by declaring “stand-ins.” There was typical ignoring of Robert’s Rules of Order, which are supposed to govern board proceedings.
The key issue (alleged mismanagement in the River Forest Police Department) was, of course, put off till the next meeting.
In short, to paraphrase the late George Wallace, despite River Forest’s proud claims, there’s really not a dime’s worth of difference between River Forest as run by President Paris and the Chicago City Council as run by Mayor Daley.
Edward Hanrahan
River Forest