Contentious public comments over local mosque draw admonition; resident raises fence encroachment complaint

At Citizens Communications, a member of the public expressed alarm about a mosque in Lincoln Park and said she was "unsettled" by the presence of an Islamic center. City officials immediately signaled concern: the mayor and counsel said such remarks could be discriminatory and instructed the speaker to submit the comment in writing rather than deliver a derogatory public address.

The exchange began when Kay Schneider spoke from the podium to express opposition to a mosque on Fort Street. The mayor and other officials intervened, with one council attorney noting that such statements could be "anti-religious or racial," and asking the speaker to provide the comment in writing. The mayor told the speaker she could not allow a derogatory public statement from the podium and affirmed that the city has been an open city to people of all faiths.

Separately, Latasha Tarver Caldwell used the public-comment period to press the city about a fence-installation dispute and ongoing small-claims action. She said the building department had not performed a final inspection since April and sought a follow-up. City counsel replied that staff would perform a site check and that enforcement and survey work may be delayed until spring due to current winter conditions, but that staff would follow up.

Why it matters: The mosque comment drew immediate procedural pushback from the dais and illustrated the council’s practice of curbing public remarks that risk targeting protected characteristics. The fence complaint highlighted a resident’s difficulty getting action from the building department and an expected staff follow-up.

What happens next: The mayor instructed the speaker to file the complaint in writing for staff review. Counsel told the fence complainant the building department will inspect and that she should expect a follow-up in the spring when field conditions allow.