The Peoria City Council ought to be ashamed of itself.

This was not a case of some street department worker caught leaning on his shovel.

This was not some clerk at the finance department caught pocketing a buck.

This was not some code enforcement officer accused of taking it easy on his brother-in-law, a landlord.

This was the Chief of Police, accused of using city funds to target a sitting Peoria City Councilman, accused to a tipster of having an appointment to visit a prostitute. About a dozen cops were diverted from their regular duties to stake out the would-be scene of the crime. Nothing happened.

This was this same Chief of Police whose judgment was questioned in his refusal to consider as credible the accusations of one officer who accused another of using police equipment and resources to harass and stalk her, despite statements from the personnel who actually investigated the incidents that, yes, the officer probably did stalk her.

So, the Peoria City Council went into closed session for four hours to question Police Chief Steve Settingsgard.

And what did they decide?

We’ll never know. That’s because the council voted to not return to open session. They ended all debate saying it was solely up to the council’s sole OFFICIAL employee — City manager Patrick Urich — to decide whether or not to discipline Chief Settingsgard.

Council members Charles Grayeb and Jim Montelongo objected to this. And Grayeb and Mayor Ardis got into a little spat (although I disagree with media statements that it was “heated”). Grayeb asked, politely, for Mayor Ardis to explain his statements that Grayeb tried to circumvent the process and his statements that the Journal Star’s reporting was inaccurate and unfair. Through his silence, Mayor Ardis declined.

So, the council went into closed executive session and never came out.

I am ashamed of this council for this. Their actions were the opposite of transparent.

If any situation calls for transparency, it is this. The police chief deciding to, essentially, try to remove a sitting city councilman from office by targeting him for arrest. This is not new. A sitting police chief got shown the door by trying to bust Gary Sandberg with a prostitute.

And Settingsgard’s decision to NOT find fault with his officer’s alleged stalking and harassment is potentially costing the city thousands in legal fees.

How are these matters NOT fit for public discussion?

I can not see myself ever encouraging anyone to vote for candidates who want things like this discussed only behind closed doors.