Elmwood Park Library Board Moves Meetings, Which Could Limit Public Participation
Monthly meetings were rescheduled to 5 pm—right at the end of a typical workday
By Kevin Gosztola
The library board of Elmwood Park voted to move monthly meetings to a time that may potentially reduce public attendance and participation.
Trustee Chris Pesko, the president of the library board, introduced the motion, but it was also clearly pushed by Library Director Michael Consiglio.
Meetings have typically been held at 7:30 p.m. “I would like to point out that generally when we come up with this time it’s to make sure that all the trustees here can attend, and it’s not the public is secondary,” Pesko said. “But it also allows some of our library personnel to attend.”
Pesko added, “Although it might be inconvenient, I know there’s a lot of other public boards out there that also do it at an earlier time, sometimes during the day.” He did not specifically mention which public boards hold open meetings while many residents are at work.
Trustee Mike Monahan asked about the abrupt decision to change the meeting time. “Does anyone have a specific reason?”
“Part of it is my direction, um—5 o’clock is where I want to make sure that my staff is able to come,” Consiglio replied. “And I want to limit my day down to 12 hours, and I’ll be fair to that.”
Monahan suggested that Consiglio could start his day at 1 o’clock. “I can’t start at 1 o’clock,” Consiglio declared.
“You can,” Monahan insisted. To which Consiglio said, “I wish I could start at 1 o’clock. I wish I could start at 9 o’clock.”
Monahan grinned. “You’re the director. You can start whenever you want to start.” Then added, “Within reason.”
“It’s unfortunately, I get up at 4:30 every morning,” Consiglio shared. Going home after 8 p.m. once a month had become intolerable for the library director.
Meredith Zinanni, who ran in 2025 for a library board trustee position, spoke against changing the meeting time during public comment.
“I see on the agenda that you’re proposing moving the meetings going forward to 5 p.m. Just want to say I think that’s very early,” Zinanni stated. “I understand possibly wanting to move it earlier, but I think there’s a compromise to be had.”
“For example, the village board meeting is held at 6 p.m. That would allow more people to attend the library board meeting.”
Zinanni also mentioned the library has a strategic plan [PDF] that encourages “access and equity” for residents as well as “in-person engagement.”
In a moment that led to some awkward laughter, Pesko acknowledged Zinanni’s comment but referred to her as Trustee Zinanni. She was not elected in April.
Monahan appealed to fellow trustees to consider a motion for holding meetings at 6 p.m. “5 p.m. does not work.” But after Pesko said that 6 p.m. did not work for him, conversation about a possible compromise that would satisfy all trustees died.
The motion to change the meetings to 5 p.m. passed with Monahan as the only vote against the proposal.
Each of the trustees on the library board campaigned knowing that the monthly meeting time was 7:30 p.m., which makes the notion that several of the trustees had scheduling conflicts puzzling.
In the months leading up to the election, the library board regularly designated the meetings as “special board meetings” to hold the meetings at 5 p.m. but comply with the Illinois Open Meetings Act. The law exists to ensure access for the public and news media.
At the January 6 meeting, Jack Bower, who campaigned with Zinanni for a library board trustee position, spoke during public comment. “This 5 p.m. time is much less convenient for the working residents of Elmwood Park to attend these meetings.”
“Which trustees is the 5pm meeting more convenient for than the normal 7:30 meeting time?” Bower asked.
“This is not question and answer. Public comment, Jack,” Pesko replied.
Back in February, Pesko and other library board trustees refused to participate in a candidate forum that was held at the library.
Changing the meeting time was yet another example of the dismissive attitude that the board trustees and library director periodically display toward the idea of accountability in a public setting.
More importantly, at a time when libraries throughout the United States are increasingly at risk of losing programs and services to funding cuts, it is bothersome that the trustees would make it more difficult for any working resident to attend.