Oak Lawn Trustee Tom Phelan (Dist. 6) has responded to allegations of unaccounted for food vouchers, questionable beer and Mai Tai sales, and abuse of VIP tent passes related to Fall On the Green with a “full response package.”
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The package—consisting of seven pdfs—answer points raised iof the annual fall festival while under Phelan’s watch as chair of the special events committee.
Once a money-losing event for village taxpayers, Phelan brought Fall On the Green into the black, turning a $50,000 profit, which to date, no one on the village board has disputed. Phelan assumed the role of village board liaison to the special events committee after he was elected in 2005.
Read the pdfs.
Phelan was ousted as special events liaison at the May 22 village board meeting and reassigned to the quality control committee that hasn’t met in six years. Mayor Dave Heilmann said that Phelan was also relieved of his duties as village board liaison to the Oak Lawn Fire Department, a relationship described by some firefighters as “acrimonious.”
In his June 1 press release, Streit said he was “shocked by the number of issues raised and questionable practices alleged and I believe the board has a duty to act to determine the validity of these actions.”
Streit, who replaced Phelan as special events committee liaison, alleged that Phelan allowed some liquor sales to take place that deviated from the normal practice of purchasing drink tickers “without a clear record of the destiny of the proceeds.”
He also accused Phelan of hiring family members to work at the event, personally negotiating vendor contracts and of missing food vouchers that had to be “reimbursed by public funds.”
Streit said he was “troubled” that the village reimbursed vendors $5,274 and at least “1,263 food vouchers distributed by Trustee Phelan are unaccounted for at the village.” Streit added village records indicated that Phelan gave 780 beer vouchers to Trustee Alex Olejniczak during last year’s Fall On the Green.
Asked to see proof of the accusations against Phelan, Streit told several news media outlets to file freedom of information act requests with the village. A request for an audit of Fall On the Green is on Tuesday’s village board agenda.
Following the May 22 board meeting, the mayor told Southtown-Star that he had also received complaints that Olejniczak had “overstepped his bounds as trustee by twice interfering with police reports to protect friends.”
Both Phelan and Olejniczak are said to be seeking an attorney to possibly file a defamation lawsuit.
In his seven pdfs, Phelan responds to and explains the “knowingly false and slanderous statements” made against him by Streit and Heilmann.
Oak Lawn Patch includes Phelan’s “full response package” in its entirety:
- PDF 1 – 1200 unaccounted for complimentary meal passes given out by Trustee Phelan to his friends and political supporters.
- PDF 2 –Trustee Phelan used VIP sponsor tent tickets for political purposes and that VIP tent became Phelan’s “personal party.”
- PDF 3 –Trustee Olejniczak benefitted complimentary meal and drink tickets.
- PDF 4 - Special Events Liaison Trustee Tom Phelan directed use of questionable contracting practices, accounting practices and anagement practices.
- PDF 5 - Phelan directed liquor sales to deviate from the normal purchase, sale and accounting procedures.
- PDF 6 – Phelan hired relatives to sell items at fest without adhering to normal solicitation procedures.
- PDF 7 - Special Events Liaison Trustee Tom Phelan personally negotiated contracts for Fall On the Green festival and micro-managed special events.
The laugh for me was on another post...A bigwig posts his real name Not thinking people will realize he you work there Of course you will say that. Has a talented life... why get a new one ? I thought i was the only one that could switch lives like clothes...
I have NO superior attitude...in fact, it is quite the opposite. I view myself as quite average...which is why I always feel that if *I* can understand something, or if *I* can figure out the way things are, I don't understand why other people cannot. Attacking me, or others for having an opinion (especially one backed up by logic or facts) does NOTHING to solve the problems of this town. In the end, 98% of what is posted by ANYBODY on this board is under the radar or of no concern to the people being posted about. Personal attacks on each other is more than pointless, though, it is uncivil, which is exacerbated by the anonymity. I don't see how it moves the agenda of improving the town forward. Disagreeing with people is great, it provides friction of thoughts and motivates people to action (sometimes). To say or imply that I'm the only one to 'judge' people on here is absolutely laughable on its face, WIshOne. That is what these boards are rife with, in case you have only just started reading them. Meet me in person, and say what you want to MY face. Nobody's 'client base' need be harmed. (Mine is doing great this year.) Otherwise, YOU are the bully AND the coward.
You've been warned...they do it with lots of people...notice how quiet a few of the regulars have gotten on here lately? Wonder why...
To be MORE specific, I did NOT name a specific time because of two simple facts. ONE is that I wasn't speaking to what a law may state, but to the greater concept, or spirit of what PUBLIC meetings should be...you know, PUBLIC. I'm not saying there are NO reasons for private session. I'm saying they should be rare, and clearly defined for the voters of Oak Lawn (or any constituency, but I'm keeping it local). Not sure why that SO offends you. It is just bizarre. Again, you seem to root FOR secrecy when you scream so loud against my just asking for less. As for two: I cannot name one even if I wanted; why? Is it because it never happened? Perhaps, yes, of course. Logic dictates that. HOWEVER, it could also be a 'known unknown'. Meaning that it is POSSIBLE, but if it is KEPT secret from the public, how would the public EVER know? If Deepthroat hadn't come forth, would the public have ever known about Watergate? Um, no. You CLEARLY don't know me. I'm THE law-abiding guy. I'm NOT saying people should violate confidentiality agreements or anything like that. I'm saying I wish there were none. Is it just a dream? Perhaps; so what? Is it somehow evil to wish for transparency of my elected officials? Only guilty people hide things, WishOne, especially repeatedly. What are YOU hiding?
(CAPS aren't only for yelling, they are used to show inflection when writing without being able to use italics or bold. New to the interweb, are you? Now we might know who spawned WishOne...nice. You 'two' should get together and knit and talk about your obsession with all things me.) Andy might have gotten run off, but you won't cyberbully me off. If I get busy, I'm gone; if not I'm here if I see something interesting...I'm guessing like everybody else. If you do not like what I have say,(or anybody else's opinion, for that matter) feel VERY free to never read comments again. These are public boards, and I follow the terms of use. You and WishOne are so oddly petty about this...it does make one wonder where you find such angst for somebody NOT posting anything personal against YOU. What is the deal with THAT? SO weird. (Still NOT yelling...inflecting.) As for your attempts (along with your partner in slime, WIshOne) to (cyber)bully me... Stop it, already, will ya? Word.
I'm SURE you'll get more than just ONE, ....but it wont be a "wish"! LOL
It's time to rope in your "Boys". Take away their computers, come on----be responsible for a change!
"People say things about the 'Open meetings Act' or laws...I'm not even speaking exactly to those" well Einstein that "law" is what dictates all actions of any governing board in this state. You can't name 1 specific time any local official broke this law" WELL "Einstein", I can.... The Secret Meetings held at Stony Creek!!! Although the ATTORNEY GENERAL, ONE LISA MADIGAN, ruled against it being a violation, or that local officials BROKE THE LAW. We ALL know that it did indeed happen and they were given a "Pass" from Madigan.
Yes. And that would be YOU TOM
Glad you are still around Andy. Without opposition does rise tyranny.
The attorney general "gave them a pass"? Pass the pipe! The attorney general ruled that there wasn't a violation because it isn't a violation. Elected officials can get together and not schedule a meeting. It is only a violation when village business is discussed and they determine how they will vote. The meeting at Stony creek had nothing to do with village business. It was a gathering of trustees, citizens and the clerk to fight a fraudulent petition scheme which they did....So, Einstein you still owe us one example
Not that I need report to you, but I DO volunteer in the community. Here's the thing: I don't feel compelled to advertise it, because that isn't what it about, at least not for me. Have for years, mulitple places, mulitple ways. Who do I attack that has your knickers up in such a bunch, anyway? You keep saying that, but I don't say anything that lots of other people don't say. What did I say about WHO in particular that has YOU so all atwitter? Okay, you are a COWARD. Congratulations to you and your client base, who are served by a bizarre, cowardly stalker with no logical reason for your actions. Yay for you, you raging weirdo. Maybe you have me confused with somebody else. I'm not ONLY STILL in business, I literally just had my best month in years, my client base (about which you seem so concerned) is GROWING exponentially this year, and I'm so busy, I'm replying to you at 12:15am because I just got done with the last of my work. Glad you are still in business, times are tough, and I wish nobody hard times, even people with serious issues such as yourself. My IMPRESSION is that you are personally hurt by something, and you won't just write to me, you want to vilify me. Who FAKES caring about the town they live in? For what?
Unless you come clean about who you are I will work on the presumption that you are one actual entity with one very oddly specific agenda...anti-me. If 'you' aren't a stalker, explain your obsession? I don't swear, I attempt to be literate, I never put myself out as better than others in any way that speaks to things of which I don't have any knowledge...what is your major malfunction? I speak either as somebody with a working knowledge of specific topics (such AS real estate) or just as what I think most normal people would agree is common sense or logic. I always disclaim wehn I talk about something that I'm not sure about with that caveat. YOU might know my name, I'm sure plenty don't...not a big deal either way, but I'm just me, all the time. not 'other' me's, posting uder fake names (I don't think I could hide my writing style, for better or worse). Patch limits the commentaries; don't READ them if it is too much for you. Do you write to other blogs and complain that people have TOO long of comments there too? The newspapers? Do you write them and ask they limit how long a response is because it is 'too long' for you to read all at once? Why not just SKIP mine? DUH!
I attack WOMEN? Like, specifically picking out women as a gender because...they're women? WHEN...EVER? I said "Women really are bad because..."? Oh wait, I NEVER said anything like that, EVER. You only continue to prove you have NO clue who I am. I am SO VERY PRO-women it is hilarious for you to even mention this. ANYBODY who knows me knows this. You are delusional to the 'enth' degree! I work in an industry saturated with them! I have regularly posted in other forums that I do not understand why women don't rule the world! You are just clueless! Stop yourself already. The ONLY women in SPECIFIC I may have called attention to would be those in the PUBLIC forum. Are they to be exempt from critique because they are women, even though they have chosen a public standing in the community? In fact, I can only recall (which, I admit may not be perfect) only two women I've EVER referenced at ALL in Patch, the lady trustee in town, whom I only mentioned wanted to have meeting end early after not even being elected to her post and had NOTHING to do with her being a woman, and Dr. Sandra Bury, with whom I have been both in agreement and disagreement over issues, but have NEVER levied personal remarks at, ever. "Since I am a man"? Says the FAKE profiler? Come back when you have ANY credibilty. In person, to anybody, anytime.
Jane you are so full of it!! You didn't mind being on the side of the slimy weasels ripping Mrs Sodaro, Lynn, and the female attorney for Sodaro with obscene remarks and dragging them through the mud last election. What a joke you are janie.
I stand by my statement.
Now you're again blogging under fake names!!!!!!! Man lol