Board of Aldermen 09-28-2021 Page 28
President Wilshire
All right, enough.
Alderwoman Lu
...80 that this woman would be...
President Wilshire
Enough Alderman Lu. Someone else was speaking.
Steve Bolton, Corporation Counsel
She has brought four different lawsuits claiming various what she believes to be infractions of the Right-to- Know Law. In
the course of those lawsuits, she has brought motions for summary judgment in three particular instances. The Judge
has found against her on all three of those. In one discovery dispute, the Judge did say that the city, not the Legal
Department, the city, was dilatory in providing those documents that had been requested and ordered that attorney’s fees
be paid for those costs incurred by her in obtaining those records that should have been provided at an earlier time.
That's the only thing she's won in those lawsuits, all four of which are still pending.
In the case of her abatement on her home, she contended that she was due a lowering of the amount to a certain dollar
figure who | can't remember that exact figure. The city responded. The city met with Mrs. Ortolano, Legal Department -
myself, met with her and her attorney, and she basically adopted the position that she would not compromise that she
would only settle for the exact amount that she claimed her assessment should be. We were unwilling to meet that
demand. The case was tried not to a court to the Board of Tax and Land Appeals. She achieved a reduction in her
assessment. Not the reduction she sought. The Board of Tax Appeals came in slightly less than the middle. So to that
extent, she won. To the extent that the city achieved more than she was willing to compromise at, or not even
compromise at all, to the extent the abatement, the ultimate determined figure was higher than she insisted upon. The
city won. As many things are, it was not a win for either side.
Fact is I've never acted vindictively toward her. | have never insulted her, called her names, use vulgar language in front
of her, all of which he has done many times. She has misstated my age. She has ridiculed the fact that I've had some
medical issues in the past year. She has spread rumors that | am so ill I'm about to retire. None of that is true. She has
insisted that I've doubled the size of the legal staff in the five years that I've been there. None of which is true. She has
stated that | treat women badly and disrespectfully. Many of you know me and can make that evaluation for yourself. |
deny all of that. | have tried to fulfill my duties to the best of my ability in regard to this citizen and all citizens. | reiterate
that my door was open to her. | was always willing to talk to her as long as she would treat me and everyone else in my
office civilly. That has stopped. Thank you.
Alderwoman Lu
May | respond?
President Wilshire
We're not going to keep going back and forth on this.
Alderwoman Lu
Is that a yes or a no?
Alderman Lopez
Yeah so last week the Out of the Darkness Walk for suicide awareness took place. | want to thank everybody who
supported that cause - the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. There were over 400 people there. It was very
encouraging but it's a drop in the bucket. | think we need to have larger conversations about the prevalence of suicide in
our city. | think we need to make sure that we're having those conversations in a way that lets people know that they're
not alone and that they're not experiencing those things in isolation. So | think we made some tremendous steps last
week and | look forward to more work in that area.
