Leaked List Details Village Commissioners’ Allegiance

A list containing the names of those serving on various Village of Oak Lawn commissions and committees drafted by a former trustee has emerged on an anonymous blog.

The “hit list” was alluded to during the special board meeting last month, in which a quorum of village board members approved 3-0 an ethics ordinance barring the hiring or appointment of ex-elected officials by the village for two years after they leave office.

“There are a lot of rumors going around the village about political retribution, against not only me, but also employees, commission members and volunteers. We’ve all heard that hit list has been made and people who supported the losing candidates are going to be replaced,” the ordinance’s sponsor, Trustee Bob Streit (Dist. 3) said during the special April 26 board meeting.

On Thursday, an anonymous blog called the Oak Lawn Leaf published a color-coded list of high-ranking village directors, commission members and volunteers.

In an interview with Southtown-Star columnist Phil Kadner, Mayor Sandra Bury denied the existence of such a list targeting village employees for termination who supported the former mayor, Dave Heilmann, in the April 9 election.

“She emphasized that contrary to some comments she’s seen online, ‘I have no hit list. I have none,’” Kadner said in his May 14 column.

Former Dist. 6 trustee Tom Phelan has since claimed sole responsibility for the nine-page “Summary/Notes from Group Discussion,” which he says he emailed to Bury and her running mates from the Oak Lawn First Party.

Phelan includes such advice as, “avoid developing close friendships/relationships with village employees,” and “ALWAYS. REWARD. SUPPORT.”

The document also noted which of the appointed commission members had a Heilmann yard sign and their history with the former mayor. All of the Heilmann appointments were recommended for immediate replacement as soon as their commission terms ended.

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The only employees mentioned on the list are high-ranking village officials, including Village Manager Larry Deetjen, Oak Lawn Fire Chief George Sheets, and the police chief who had yet to be hired from the in-house candidates after former chief Bill Villanova's retirement last month.

The document also noted that Deetjen should be given six months to implement any necessary changes that would allow village employees to more effectively and efficiently do the people’s work.

Phelan said the document leaked on the anonymous blog (which was offline as of Sunday evening) included only portions of the advice and recommendations he shared with the Oak Lawn First candidates based on his eight years of service as a village trustee.

“It wasn't solicited by anyone and was created by me,” Phelan said via email.  “There is no ‘hit list’ of employees and never was. In fact, the advice I gave [Bury and the trustees] was to not involve themselves with employee matters and to leave [village manager] Larry [Deetjen] alone to resolve any employee related issues.”

The former trustee further stated that there were was no “secret” Palermo’s meeting where any of the document’s content was discussed. Phelan claims the only meeting that took place prior to his sending the information was on April 13, when the Oak Lawn First candidates cleaned up their campaign headquarters on 95th Street.

“During that meeting issues related to the transition were discussed, with Trustee Olejniczak and myself telling the others what they should expect and do in the weeks after the election and before the swearing in,” Phelan wrote. “And this was again based on our experiences when we were first elected in 2005.”

Phelan said it was “irrelevant” who leaked the list “because it's neither earth-shattering nor proprietary. It was simply advice that was given to newly elected officials and nothing more.”

Bury said she received Phelan’s emailed summary around April 30.

“Political appointments are my responsibility and I’m going to take them very seriously,” Bury said. “I requested information from trustees for recommendations. I would like their support with it even though it’s my decision.”

Bury said nothing on the working list was “secret stuff.”

“What’s the big deal who had a lawn sign,” she said. “Is this what they’re calling a hit list?”

The mayor added that what concerned her most was how an emailed document  addressed to a few people fell into the hands of an anonymous blog. A source told Patch that an “unhappy committeeman” sent him the document as an attachment to another email.

“It’s a manufactured drama that [Heilmann supporters] have been harping on for weeks,” Bury said. “They wait until I’m sworn in to embarrass me. I’m not embarrassed. I’ll hold my head high.”