Recent signs of tension or annoyance between Elmhurst aldermen most likely was just because of the item they were discussing.

Several aldermen and Mayor Pete DiCianni said the heated debate June 15 between City Council members was simply about the planned Larch Avenue and First Street parking deck and issues related to it.

“My personal feelings are, that particular issue, there were certainly some aldermen that felt strongly about how the process should go forward,” 5th Ward Alderman Chris Healy said. “There were other aldermen who felt strongly in the other direction. I don’t feel that there’s tension between aldermen. I think what we saw a week ago Monday was a group of 14 people who are still learning to work together. It’s a new council and a new mayor who’s still getting his feet under him.”

Healy said this was the first difficult issue that came to the new council and there were varying viewpoints, which 1st Ward Alderman Paula Pezza echoed.

“So far, I think we all really get along well. I think everyone has a high level of respect for each other,” she said. “I think (the parking deck) is a contentious issue, therefore the facts surrounding it and discussion and debate surrounding it, there may appear that there’s tension. It’s the issue itself that is contentious.”

Pezza said the council was able to walk out of the meeting and “all still respect one another.” She added when discussing a multi-million dollar project that will be funded with taxpayers’ money, “it’s a good thing” to have a heated debate about it.

DiCianni said the council is young, and disagreement should not be seen as tension but rather healthy debate and members learning to work together.

“Basically some people are learning the process, and in the end ... we all came into agreement unanimously on the vote,” he said. “It’s new people learning the process. I’m a new mayor; I’m not perfect either.”

DiCianni said he will encourage aldermen to get “feelings and emotions” out at committees before actual council meetings in order to not only save unnecessary comments but to present a smoothly run group to the community.

“We want to try to do as much vetting and discussion and debate in committee so that when we come in open forum, we’re pretty much in open agreement,” DiCianni said. “I’m hoping I can bring everyone together to come up with common goals to make Elmhurst the best place it can possibly be. There’s give and take and two sides to every story. But at the same time, we have to make Elmhurst fertile so we can embrace revenue and development because in the long term, that will make our town a nicer community to live in.”

Aldermen Diane Gutenkauf and Patrick Wagner said separately there is simply a learning curve as the new council has its first few meetings.

“People who have been aldermen longer are going to be a (lot more knowledgeable) about the municipal code,” Gutenkauf said. “I don’t think there’s tension. I don’t get the feeling, like, ‘Oh, I hate this person.’ I don’t personally feel that. Anytime you get a hot topic discussion, when you get 14 people, if you don’t get several different opinions, I don’t think that’s representing the views of citizens appropriately.”

DiCianni said the council is doing strategic planning in which members will discuss how they want the group to grow.

“If we have an issue, where do we want to discuss it?” he said. “We want this to be, let’s be positive and make this town the best it can be. Let’s nip this thing in committee. If not, call the mayor, call the manager and say these are concerns. When you have surprises at council meetings, it gets a little awkward and people get defensive.”

Healy said as long as criticism between aldermen remains about city issues, he’s OK with debate.

“As long as it doesn’t get personal, there was nothing that happened that concerned me,” Healy said.