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Thursday, September 2
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Elmhurst eye-rolling incident raises questions
Elmhurst officials are considering creating a "disturbance and disorderly conduct" violation after a resident accused of rolling her eyes and sighing was ejected from a public meeting.
City Attorney Don Storino has been directed by the city’s finance and council affairs committee to look at various sources including “Robert’s Rules of Order,” Illinois state statutes and policies adopted by other municipalities for a legal definition of disorderly conduct and disruptive behavior.
He is expected to report his findings to the committee on July 26.
Ald. Stephen Hipskind said Darlene Heslop rolled her eyes and sighed while attending a June 14 committee meeting. Heslop, who was asked to leave the meeting, said she favors adding a definition of disorderly conduct to the municipal code.
“I’d like for them (city officials) to have a better understanding of the open meetings act and its meaning and to understand what disorderly conduct is,” she said.
Under state law, disorderly conduct is “an act in such unreasonable manner as to alarm or disturb another, or to provoke a breach of the peace.”
Heslop, who was asked to leave the meeting during discussion of a proposal for the city to hire a state lobbyist, which she opposes, said she hopes adding the definition will help city officials better understand “what the public is entitled to” when attending a city meeting or conducting city business.
Storino said the issues of conduct or behavior during a city meeting are not usually criminal matters.
"It's not in any way a punishable offense by a fine," he said. "It's a matter of decorum."
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What a bunch of losers! So no one is suppose to voice position to a lame or brainless idea some elected official thought up and is high on? Might not be the only thing they are high on.....
Quick, somebody! Introduce these hyper-sensitive primadonnas to the First Amendment to the Constitution. Yeah, THAT Constitution...
I suppose asking Mr. Hipskind to act intelligently and responsibly enough that no one would feel inspired to roll their eyes is out of the question?
I swear, this is something out of Soviet Russia. Mr. Hipskind seems to be saying that if his constituents aren't better behaved, they'll be imprisoned and a replacement group of constituents found to take their place.
A very slippery slope, gentlemen. Democracy is ugly and messy, and firmly entrenched long before your delicate sensibilities! Just deal with it.
While the review of this is silly, Helsop needs to get a bit of class. She doesn't like something so she makes a scene? It isn't about not expressing one's self, its about manners and respect of others opinion. Obviously, Ms Helsp doesn't have either.
OK, just wear sun glasses and a hospital face mask. You'll be fine and the commies you've got for elected officials can concern themselves with actual BUSINESS.
Ald. Stephen Hipskind needs to grow up, or maybe go get a real job.
In Normal, Illinois
It is against the law to make faces at dogs.
Nice job Elmhurst city council. I just heard this on Fox News. So, now our town is in the national spotlight and we look like a bunch of fools. Mr. Hipskind sounds like an overgrown child. While Ms. Heslop's behavior is also pretty juvenile, the reaction seems to be an extreme overreaction. And here I thought adults were in charge our city.
Elmhurst board meetings are the best reality shows on TV.
Perhaps their outrageous behavior is being dictated by their membership in ICLEI.
Over 1105 cities, towns, counties, and their associations worldwide comprise ICLEI's growing membership. ICLEI works with these and hundreds of other local governments through international performance-based, results-oriented campaigns and programs.
Here is where you can find the US members of this group - over 500 of them. Elmhurst IL is a member.
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=global-members
ICLEI was founded in 1990 as the 'International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives'. The Council was established when more than 200 local governments from 43 countries convened at our inaugural conference, the World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future, at the United Nations in New York.
http://www.iclei.org/
ICLEI offers grant opportunities with severe strings attached. It’s not all about protecting the environment, it’s about reinventing government.
Since I found out about Elmhurst’s membership in this UN crowd, I have been boycotting by not shopping or dining in their formerly wonderful city.
Someone really considers rolling eyes and sighing as a violation? What a bunch of numsculls this should be the worst of their problems they have in Elmhurst. HOW DO THESE PEOPLE GET A JOB and elected to office when so many are out of work?
Think about it folks - for people of certain nationalities that use expression and hand motions etc as part of their speech patern this could be disastrous. I can't believe people have become so immature and incapable of having give and take discussions adn debates. What has happened to us America?
This meeting was clearly out of control. The resident can't be blamed for making a sigh, gesture or whatever. It is a public meeting. The alderman was foolish to over react. The meeting should have been controlled by figure of authority. Where was Mayor Decianni?
Body movements, for some, are their only means of "speech."
If we are to conform to the U.S. Constitution and the First Amendment we must consider facial expressions, or even bodily movements as a means of 'speech.'
Consequently, rolling one's eyes in response to a comment is to be regarded as an expression of "Freedom of Speech," as outlined in the First Amendment, and is therefore allowable (unless it causes a panic, of course.)