Public judge chides council for NorthPoint hearing

Callers on Day 2 of the public hearing on the NorthPoint project at times scolded Joliet officials for moving ahead with the process during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The proposed Compass Business Park also began getting more support - from union laborers and contractors Tuesday, although there were about five opponents for every one supporter.

The hearing continues at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and is not expected to end then as the city continues to field calls from nearly 300 people registered to speak.

Many of the callers were critical of the unique public hearing process set up amid COVID-19 restrictions, a process that a Will County judge this week termed “shady” even though he refused to issue an order to block it.

“I had to leave a patient to talk to you people,” said one NorthPoint opponent named Patricia who identified herself as a nurse and accused the council of “scheduling to your convenience.”

City officials say they are making accommodations to ensure everyone gets heard.

Callers are being rescheduled if necessary.

About 20 who were not available for a Tuesday morning session of the hearing were rescheduled for the afternoon when it was reconvened, City Attorney Martin Shanahan said.

“All the people that didn’t answer this morning, this afternoon they were the first people we called,” Shanahan said. “We’re trying to accommodate the best we can.”

While opponents wanted the hearing delayed until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, many supporters said the project is needed now to provide a boost to the local economy.

“We rely on projects like the Compass Business Park to keep our members working,” said Dean Rankovich, a business agent with Local 150 of the Operating Engineers.

Several contractors also called to voice support for the project.

But an unofficial tally of the calls by the Herald-News showed 108 of 130 callers so far against the Compass Business Park.

City officials said they have so far called 183 people to speak, so many may not have been reached or decided against speaking.

Opponents went to Will County Court on Monday to seek a temporary restraining order to stop the hearing from starting.

Circuit Judge John Anderson in his ruling said it would be “judicial activism” for him to tell Joliet whether it was necessary to hold the hearing now when an in-person hearing may not be possible “for many, many months.”

But Anderson added his own chiding of city officials.

“Having this meeting in the way the city has decided is shady and does a disservice to the public,” Anderson said. “But that does not make it illegal.”