EAST CHICAGO -- A dozen residents, mostly members of the anti-Pastrick

administration group Citizens In Action, criticized City Council members on

Monday for limiting their comments during the twice-monthly City Council

meetings.

During a 20-minute, sometimes raucous question-and-answer session between

Citizens In Action group members and Council President Frank Kollintzas, D-4th,

Councilman Gus Kouros, D-2nd, was twice asked to explain what his

qualifications were to justify his appointment by Kollintzas to chair the

council's Finance Committee.

Kollintzas, who declined to allow Kouros to speak, told the audience there were

no detailed qualifications to be appointed chairman of that committee.

Instead, Kollintzas said he appointed Kouros to the post because of his 28

years of service on the City Council. Kouros has chaired the council's Finance

Committee for 15 years. Kouros raised his voice at one point, saying no one

should question his fiscal experience because he has owned and operated

restaurants for the last 42 years.

"This is just a political attack by these people," Kouros said after the

meeting.

Resident Warren Landrum also criticized council members for not rescheduling

meetings during evening hours. Council meetings are conducted usually at noon

on the second and fourth Monday of each month. Landrum said many more

interested residents would attend council meetings if they were scheduled at 6

p.m. instead of in the middle of the work day.

Landrum and resident Colleen Aguirre also said council members had done a poor

job of keeping the public informed of progress in the city's quest to dispose

of toxins slated to be dredged from the Calumet Harbor and Ship Canal.

"All we're saying is that, as representatives of the people, we're going to

hold you people responsible for your actions," Landrum said.

The meeting adjourned amid shouting between audience members, Councilman George

Pabey D-at large, and Kollintzas. Pabey, who is a political ally of the

Citizens In Action group, yelled at Kollintzas for conducting "separate

meetings" with some residents after the regular council business was completed.

Kollintzas and the majority of the nine council members are politically allied

with Mayor Robert Pastrick. Kollintzas pointed to the rear of the council

chambers and told Pabey "there's the door if you want to leave."