One of the City Council's committees is the Mayor's Advisory Committee on Boards and Commissions. It is comprised of the four chairmen of the council's four standing committees; Public Works, Finance and Budget, Procedures and Regulations, and Public Safety. The four Aldermen making up the current Mayor's Advisory Committee are Ald. Don DreadBach (3rd ward), the Lord of the Manor, Ald. Rich DiPietro (2nd ward), Ald. James Allspaghetti (4th ward), and Ald. Frank Wsoooool man (7th ward), respectively. Ald. James Allspaghetti, in his role as chairman of Procedures and Regulations, is supposed to automatically become the chairman of the Mayor's Advisory Committee, though Ald. DiPietro is serving in that role currently.
The Mayor's Advisory committee's job is to interview prospective candidates for appointment to the city's various boards and commissions, then make recommendations for appointment to the Mayor. During the candidate interview process, which is by law an open meeting, the Advisory committee usually opens each interview with a statement that includes reminding each candidate of the "importance of attending at least 75% of meetings."
The PRU Crew decided to take a look and see if the Aldermen were practicing what they have been preaching to the prospective appointees for boards and commissions.
We took a look at the various meeting minutes available on the city's website to determine aldermanic attendance to council meetings (including workshops and special meetings), as well as the four standing committees (including any special meetings) on which each of the aldermen is serving. We've made every attempt to double and triple check our findings, but if you've ever tried to search the city's website, then you know what an abysmal site it is to surf.
For the City Council, there are minutes available for 32 meetings; from 5-21-07 up to 4-21-08. Four "special meetings" held in April do not seem to have minutes available online.
For the Finance and Budget committee, there are minutes available for 12 meetings; from 6-12-07 up to 2-12-08, but we have also counted the 2-16-08 Budget workshop into our count, as that meeting was referenced during a recent city council meeting, making the meeting count we are using, 13. The Finance and Budget committee does not appear to have met in March, and despite the fact that the 4-7-08 meeting minutes were scheduled for approval on the 4-8-08 meeting agenda, they are not available online (not during our last check, anyway) and neither are the minutes of the 4-8-08 meeting, 4-14-08 C.O.W. meeting, nor the 4-21-08 Budget Hearing.
The Public Works committee has meeting minutes available online from 6-6-07 up to 4-16-08 for a total meeting count of 20.
The Procedures and Regulations committee has a meeting count of 10, based on available minutes; from 6-5-07 up to 4-15-08.
Finally, the Public Safety committee's available online minutes, from 5-30-07 up to 4-3-08, allows a total meeting count of 12 to be used for attendance-taking purposes.
And here we go!
First Ward, Alderman Dave Schmidt; is serving on the Procedures and Regulations committee, and serves as an alternate to the Public Works committee.
-- has missed 2 out of 32 city council meetings -- 94% attendance.
-- has missed 0 out of 10 Procedures and Regulations committee meetings -- 100% attendance.
-- has attended 5 Public Works meetings in his role as a committee alternate.
Second Ward, Alderman Rich DiPietro; is chairman of the Finance and Budget committee and serves as an alternate to the Procedures and Regulations committee.
-- has missed 1 out of 32 city council meetings -- 97% attendance.
-- has missed 0 out of 13 Finance and Budget committee meetings -- 100% attendance.
-- has attended 1 Procedures and Regulations meeting in his role as a committee alternate.
Third Ward, Alderman Don Bach; is chairman of the Public Works committee and serves on the Public Safety committee; he does not serve as an alternate to any of the council's standing committees.
-- has missed 1 out of 32 city council meetings -- 97% attendance.
-- has missed 1 out of 20 Public Works committee meetings -- 95% attendance.
-- has missed 1 out of 12 Public Safety committee meetings -- 92% attendance.
Fourth Ward, Alderman James Allegretti; is chairman of the Procedures and Regulations committee, and serves on the Public Safety committee; he does not serve as an alternate to any of the council's standing committees.
-- has missed 3 out of 32 city council meetings -- 91% attendance.
-- has missed 0 out of 10 Procedures and Regulations committee meetings -- 100% attendance.
-- has missed 2 out of 12 Public Safety committee meetings -- 83% attendance.
Fifth Ward, Alderman Robert Ryan; is serving on the Public Works committee and the Finance and Budget committee; he does not serve as an alternate to any of the council's standing committees.
-- has missed 2 out of 32 city council meetings -- 94% attendance.
-- has missed 8 out of 20 Public Works committee meetings -- 60% attendance.
-- has missed 4 out of 13 Finance and Budget committee meetings -- 69% attendance.
Sixth Ward, Alderman Thomas Carey; is serving on the Finance and Budget committee and the Procedures and Regulations committee; he serves as an alternate to the Public Safety committee.
-- has missed 1 out of 32 city council meetings -- 97% attendance.
-- has missed 1 out of 13 Finance and Budget committee meetings -- 92% attendance.
-- has missed 2 out of 10 Procedures and Regulations committee meetings -- 80% attendance.
-- has attended 1 Public Safety meeting in his role as a committee alternate.
Seventh Ward, Alderman Frank Wsol; is chairman of the Public Safety committee and serves on the Public Works committee; he serves as an alternate to the Finance and Budget committee.
-- has missed 1 out of 32 city council meetings -- 97% attendance.
-- has missed 0 out of 20 Public Works committee meetings -- 100% attendance.
-- has missed 0 out of 12 Public Safety committee meetings -- 100% attendance.
-- has attended 2 Finance and Budget meetings in his role as a committee alternate.
Pretty darn good, for the most part. As for the "reminder" about the "importance of attending at least 75% of meetings", maybe it's time somebody had a little chat with a certain 5th Ward alderman.
And while we're on the topic of attendance, try to make time this evening to attend both the 6:30 PM City Council PADS Workshop as well as the 7:30 PM City Council meeting; both are at Park Ridge City Hall.
May 5, 2008
Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?
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12 comments:
Hey, Has anyone noticed the number of times during a city council meeting that Alderman Ryan has to get up and go to the bathroom? Could we have a going problem?
This is my alderman and I have the right to representation. At the first neighborhood meeting we had with Robert Ryan, I was amazed to hear him say that he regards this as his community service work and that he is not a politician. Didn't he run a campaign? Was his literature not distributed and doors not knocked on? I am sorry but I expect much more from my "elected local official". This was a office/job that you ran for and you were elected into. We have the right to representation. Not just a community service volunteer! Step up to the plate or step aside!
Is PRU going soft? Sure, most of these jokers are showing up in body but when they do, it is not like we are really being represented.
We simply took the opportunity to report on attendance. We'll let the numbers speak for themselves.
We do feel that if aldermen miss meetings then any chance of representation, particularly for a given ward, is completely lost; not to mention the diminished level of representation involved in vetting issues, as well as the work load and responsibilities being shifted to other aldermen.
As for the quality of representation being offered, we often comment on that -- but not today.
You could argue that Ryan represents his constituents best when he stays away, but its really a sick joke when nobody else on the Council is under 80% attendance and Ryan can't even hit 70% for each of his two committees. Does he have some kind of ongoing conflict, or does he just not care?
Bravo to PRU for a somewhat positive article.
More please!
Ah, I remember the good ol' days way back when there were two alderpeople in each ward. That way even if there was a Ryan going AWOL, the common folk were represented.
BUt alas, the sheep got what they asked for.
NOw instead of a built in backup system in case of a bad apple, you get nothing.
Can my ward secede from the city?
And COOK county as loong as I'm dreaming
Hey....maybe we can throw tea into the DP river and paint our faces!!
All in protest!!
Better yet...let's get Howie back from the Darkside......
Maybe we can get finally get something done right at 505!
Thank you.
Anonymous 9:27
NO WAY! The only thing left would be Howard's fourth ward and that's where I am stuck.
This is soooooo classic Howie (from today's online Herald-Advocate):
Frimark stated that Hock was not his first choice for city manager, claiming that his preferred candidate withdrew his name from consideration "upon realization that the political atmosphere was so toxic that [his] vision of Park Ridge would not be realized."
TOXIC?!! Howie, you CREATED that!!!
The mayor's first choice was a boy who knew that he was not ready to do a man's job. I give him credit for realizing that ahead of time. I also give credit to the U'ground for exposing the mayor's ill-conceived plan to install a puppet at the top of City staff. Without that exposure, the boy may have tried to do the man's job anyway.
Anonymous 5/5/08 8:16 AM asked,
"Could we have a going problem?"
It sure looks like Ryan has a going to meetings problem. I am embarrassed to say he's my Alderman.
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