Glen Ellyn park candidates discuss communication

The Glen Ellyn Park District board eventually overturned a decision last year that would have resulted in the loss of hundreds of trees at Ackerman Park.

But some residents who attended meetings as the board struggled with the controversial issue say it also brought another problem to light.

Melissa Creech, Julia Nephew and Jay Kinzler, who all are running for election in April as a slate of candidates for the park board, said current members need to work on transparency and communication with the public.

"It was very difficult to get hold of certain people," Kinzler said, with board members not returning phone calls or e-mails, he said.

Challenger Jeff Dickson said communication hasn't been a problem for the most part, but the board could have been more forthcoming with the Ackerman issue.

The incumbents - Keith Schoen, Bill Taylor, Ron Aubrey and Jeff Jourdan - who are vying for four spots on the board, disagree.

"I believe nothing could be further from the truth," Schoen said.

Creech agreed that board members turned over relevant Ackerman Park documents when she asked for them, but the process required freedom of information requests, which were time-consuming and created an unnecessary barrier.

Nephew and her slate has brought up the idea of putting all the documents that appear in board packets online so residents can see exactly what the commissioners are looking at.

The idea of televising meetings also has come up, although incumbents said that notion was already discussed and didn't seem cost-effective.

"Are people really going to use it when historically we have public meetings and more times than not nobody shows up?" Aubrey said. That money could be used for programs instead, he said.

Current board members also rejected the idea anything was hidden during the Ackerman Park discussions.

"Plans were presented at meetings," Taylor said. "This had been discussed."

Taylor said the fact the board changed its vote shows members were open to hearing what residents had to say.

However, the challengers' slate contends residents should have been notified about specific plans regarding Ackerman instead of the board relying just on published agendas.

Creech said even if televised meetings aren't feasible, podcasts of meetings should be placed online for residents who are interested in park district discussions.

Jourdan said the park district already has an e-mail news service and conducts several surveys to get feedback from residents.

"I don't know how much more to do," he said.

All those running in the elections agreed that conducting resident surveys every two years might be a good idea. Currently, a survey is being prepared, and the last one was done four years ago.

The district regularly surveys program participants, incumbents said, which provides timely feedback.

Dickson, who is on the travel soccer board, also floated the idea of a joint meeting at least once a year between the park district board and the associations that handle athletic programs in the district. He also suggested assigning liaisons for each athletic board.