Did Restaurant Have Hand In Elmhurst Report?

Elmhurst IL

06 October, 2021

8:04 AM

Description

ELMHURST, IL — Elmhurst Alderwoman Dannee Polomsky wrote a six-page report making the case for a restaurant's request for parking lots, which neighbors opposed. It was a minority view on the City Council committee that reviewed the project. The other two members, aldermen Mark Mulliner and Emily Bastedo, wrote the report arguing against the project. At Monday's City Council meeting, Polomsky's report won the day, with Mayor Scott Levin breaking a City Council tie in her favor. The restaurant is getting the parking lots, despite the opposition. During public comment, one resident suggested Polomsky's report read as if it were written by Scott Day, the attorney for the Moreci family, which owns Roberto's. Later in the meeting, Polomsky seemingly responded to that assertion, saying her dealings with the attorney were indirect. "I'm assuming when this is over, everything is going to be FOIA'd," Polomsky said, referring to the Freedom of Information Act. "I wanted to show that this was as deliberate and careful as possible, so I did not directly engage with the applicant's attorney. In changing anything, I engaged through staff." Polomsky said she would have conversations with staff, which would then relay information to Day. It was the city's assistant manager, Mike Kopp, who "did the interfacing with the applicant," she said. The City Council was originally going to consider the Roberto's issue in mid-September, but the mayor delayed it because Polomsky had not finished her report. In an email to Patch last week, Day said about the alderwoman's work, "The Moreci family expresses its appreciation for the disciplined analysis and the thoughtful reasoning within Chairwoman Polomsky's Minority report." Patch has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the communications involving the drafting of Polomsky's report.