By Dee Longfellow
For The Elmhurst Independent
Things got a little sticky at the Elmhurst City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 6, when a citizen overstepped his bounds during public forum.
John Dulles chose to address the Council during public forum at the meeting about some recent incidents that he claims have impacted his business. Dulles is known for placing politically charged and often controversial signs on the windows of his establishment, Dulles Cleaners, located at 128 No. Addison. Most recently, the signs have had messages supportive of former President Donald Trump.
Following Mayor Levin’s usual explanation of public forum rules including that speakers are limited to three minutes, John Dulles took the microphone.
“Many of you know me, I am very outspoken, some of you may not like me, but I love my town,” he said. “I’m here about the parking on Addison [Street].”
Dulles went on to say he was proud to be a second-generation business owner, following his father Ted Dulles who ran Dulles Cleaners before him. He said he was a proud citizen of Elmhurst, but that he was currently “not proud of City Council, [former] Mayor Steve Morley and the parking on Addison St.”
A recent sign had brought a response from Dulles’ neighbor, Formula Fitness Club (FFC).
“Formula Fitness Club is a big corporate entity that has corrupted our City Hall and Police Department,” Dulles said. “I put that sign up and it hit a nerve. Someone saw it and called FFC Corporate. A lady I know who has been a customer [of Dulles Cleaners] for quite some time came over to deliver a letter to me from FFC’s corporate lawyer.
“She came in, plopped the letter down and said, ‘I can’t come back here anymore as your customer.’
“About an hour later, the coward, Gayle, from FFC came over to emphasize that the letter said I must cease and desist with the sign on my window. He said ‘it is hurting my business and I will sue you if you don’t take it down.’
“I said to him that I don’t know who you are, but that letter from your lawyer is not going to intimidate me. If you are the owner, you got a $14 million garage for free five years ago. When you wanted to build your fitness center, you insisted the City provide more parking. You told the City to build a garage and ‘then we’ll move here.’ So you got a $14 million parking lot.
“Then Mr. Gayle said, ‘I pay taxes here,’ well, I told him, we all pay taxes. You say you’re not happy with the parking garage, but now your [members] are taking up 98% of the street parking. Everyone who tries to visit one of the 40 or 50 businesses on Addison St. ends up parking in front of my store because those are the only spaces left open.
“You are all public servants from the mayor on down to serve ALL the businesses on Addison, not just Formula Fitness Club.”
When the three minutes are up
As is policy, after three minutes had passed, Mayor Levin asked Dulles to wrap up his comments, but Dulles insisted he was not finished.
“We’re moving on,” Mayor Levin said.
“No, you’re going to listen to me,” Dulles said. “I’ve been in business for 63 years, it’s disrespectful – you work for us.”
“We’re moving on,” Levin repeated. “You’re disrespecting the work of this Council.”
“No, we’re NOT moving on and you’re going to listen to me!” Dulles said. “You work for us, we don’t work for you, you have to listen to a business who’s been in business for 63 years – it’s disrespectful – you work for us, you all are working for us from the mayor on down. I’m here to talk about the parking for Dulles Cleaners and other businesses on Addison and 98% of the parking spaces on the street are taken by Formula Fitness.”
Again, Mayor Levin told Dulles the Council was moving on to regular business.
“Listen!” Dulles said. “I have a lot more to say and you are going to listen to me for as long as I want to, because we own these microphones. The taxpayers own these microphones, we own this building and everything in here.”
“You are disrespecting the Council,” Levin said.
“You work for us, from the mayor on down, you work for us,” Dulles repeated.
Levin tried to interrupt several times to begin work on the Council’s agenda, but Dulles refused to step away from the microphone, and continued to badger the Council.
‘You’re not the boss, we are; this is not a Gestapo’
“I’m here to fight for the other businesses on Addison,” he said. “Mr. Mayor, you are just a new mayor, you’re not the boss here, we’re the bosses here.”
“I’m asking to have you removed,” Levin said.
“No, you are not having me removed,” Dulles continued. “This is not a Gestapo here – we have a right to speak for as long as we want.”
Levin told him again his time to speak was up.
“I will speak as long as I want to, I’m talking about parking and you are discriminating…” at that point, Dulles microphone was cut off.
No other conversation could be heard unless you were in the room live.
A police officer approached Dulles and assisted him out the door.
