Harvey illegally cancels public comment at council meeting, violating open meetings law

A City Council meeting that began with Thanksgiving greetings quickly spiraled into authoritarian fiasco last Monday night, with outrage erupting after leaders adjourned the meeting without public comment.

The state’s Open Meetings Act requires public bodies to allow the public to address officials, with leeway on things like length of time. But Harvey’s move prevented residents from airing grievances with officials.

Clapping is banned in Harvey meetings. So is talking, laughing, any other verbal or nonverbal expression. Residents’ bright signs had pointed messages for city and police officials: “Vote No.” “We Can Clap.” “Worst Mayor Ever.” 

This summer, the council and police barred residents from bringing similar signs into chambers following a heated march.

Just as public comment was set to begin, an officer removed Glynis James-Watson for mumbling underneath her breath. That’s when the meltdown began.

Harvey Police Patrol Bureau Commander Antoine Anderson escorted James-Watson out of council chambers. He cited her for disorderly conduct. She “was being disruptive” when she “challenged why I am being asked to leave,” James-Watson said:

Ald. Colby Chapman (2nd) demanded an explanation. Instead of addressing the issue, Mayor Chris Clark directed Chapman to “come to order.” Clark egged on an already tense situation by goading the council to censure Chapman, a move he tabled earlier this year. They didn’t. Police then escorted Chapman out of the chamber. That’s the third time this year:

The council then took a 10-minute recess and adjourned the meeting, further frustrating residents; they weren’t allowed to give public comment that night.

The incident left attendees visibly shaken. “It’s crazy, and this is literally our meeting that we pay for. Our tax dollars are funding this, and they’re denying the voice of the people,” said one attendee, who declined to be identified.

Earlier this year, Clark skipped public comment, waiting in his office as Ald. Shirley Drewenski (1st), who he named mayor pro temp, presided over it. He would return to preside over official business. After criticism grew, they returned to current procedures.

But Clark and Harvey Police Chief Cameron Biddings hypermilitarized police presence. There are nearly 10 officers at any given time.

“Decorum,” as they say, appears inconsistently enforced. 

Attendees and staff were permitted to applaud during a swearing-in ceremony for new firefighters earlier in the evening. 

“When the firemen get their badges, everybody can clap, and we can’t clap in this space when we are in agreement with what other residents or business owners are saying,” Pastor Jonathan Johnson of Holy Bible Missionary Baptist Church told the HWH. 

Aldermanic comment was on the agenda before official business. Ald. Telanee Smith (3rd) skewered Chapman, as tension between the two reaches a flashpoint. 

“This recent action of suing the city is just one of the many reasons we voted to reorganize the committee,” Smith said.

Chapman is one of several parties suing the city, alleging the mayor, his staffers, and police brass are extorting business under the pretext of collecting unpaid property taxes.

This winter, the council voted to reorganize the standing committees as proposed by the mayor. Chapman was removed from the finance committee, which Smith now co-chairs with Alds. Tyrone Rogers (6th) and Dominique Randle-El (5th).

Investigative teams must examine “abuses of power” by the administration, Johnson said. That was the first meeting since Clark, City Administrator Corean Davis, and Randle-El filed paperwork to run for Thornton Township’s 2025 races on a slate called the “Reform Thornton Township Party.”

Violations of the OMA can lead to fines, court orders requiring transparency measures, or even the nullification of actions taken during the meeting. 

The Illinois Attorney General Office Public Access Counselor, which reviews OMA complaints, found the city violated the Act in September 2023 when it required identification for those attending a town hall between it and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.

Harvey residents filed yet another complaint against Harvey with the state’s PAC.