Mayor-for-a-Day Student Gets Interesting Lesson in Government at Monday's City Council Meeting

The issue was appointments to two city committees, but based on the anger that flared, one might have thought the City Council on Monday was talking about more emotional matters.

Seventh Ward Alderman Mark Mulliner pulled two appointments to the Zoning and Planning Commission and one appointment to the Elmhurst Heritage Foundation from the council's consent agenda. He said he wanted to postpone them until the next council was seated in May.

A barrage of motions and points-of-order flew across the dais as aldermen debated how long the appointments could be postponed and whose interpretation of Robert's Rules of Order was the ultimate authority.

Seventh Ward Alderman Patrick Wagner asked 1st Ward Alderman Diane Gutenkauf, one of the motion-makers, a question. When Mayor Pete DiCianni asked her to respond, Gutenkauf did not like the way he addressed her.

“Do you always have to be so snippy?” she asked the mayor.

When Wagner interrupted Gutenkauf's reply to his question, Gutenkauf raised her voice and told him to “shut up” so she could finish her answer.

Sitting next to DiCianni was Sheila Evans of York High School, the winner of the Mayor for a Day contest sponsored by Character Counts.

The appointments were ultimately approved.