Special Village Board Meeting Called To Hear Ethics Ordinance

Claiming that their proposed ethics ordinance was barred from Tuesday’s village board agenda out of political retribution, Oak Lawn Trustees Bob Streit (Dist. 3) and Carol Quinlan (Dist. 5) have called for a special board meeting at 6 p.m. tonight (Friday) at village hall.

The proposed ethics ordinance would prohibit the hiring or appointment of former elected officials for a period of two years after official’s term of office ends, pursuant to state law.

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Village Manager Larry Deetjen told Patch that the oridinance missed last week's Tuesday cutoff date for placement on the agenda. Items that come in after the regular deadline are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Streit said he was told he could bring the proposed ethics ordinance to the village clerk’s office before the end of the day last Thursday so it could be included in the board packet for the April 23 meeting.

An hour later, he received an email from Village Manager Larry Deetjen stating that after collaboration with Village Clerk Jane Quinlan, the ordinance would not make Tuesday's board agenda.

“I’m sure we’re going to hear all kinds of rationale about why it was not on tonight’s agenda,” Streit said during Tuesday’s village board meeting. “In all my years here I have never seen anyone denied the right to place an item on a village board agenda. I understand the new board is flexing their political muscle and according to the village manager, Larry Deetjen, it’s retribution …”

Deetjen said there were problems with the draft ordinance from the start, which he said had obviously been prepared by an attorney.

“I wanted to know who had prepared it so that village counsel could call the attorney with questions,” the village manager said after public notice was given of tonight's meeting.

After discussion with Clerk Quinlan, who was on vacation, and the village attorneys, Deetjen said there were immediate legal concerns with the proposed ordinance.

“We all felt it was inappropriate to put it on the agenda,” the village manager said. “There wasn’t time to legally vet it to make sure there weren’t any conflicts with existing laws and ordinances. I didn't think it was good government.”

Deetjen said he had suggested putting the ordinance on the agenda as a discussion topic so that it could be discussed publicly and openly “in a genuine hope for transparency.”

A vote could be taken at the May 14 village board meeting, when new board members are sworn in.

“Trustees Streit and Quinlan weren’t interested in my alternative,” he said.

Trustee Carol Quinlan said that there have always been exceptions to board agenda items that come in after the cutoff.

“They didn’t like what we were bringing to them, it was a political move to block it,” Quinlan said. “[Deetjen] can’t tell us that it can’t go on there. It was absolutely ridiculous.”

One possible reason for the rush to approve the ordinance by the outgoing village board is to block Trustee Tom Phelan (Dist. 6), whose term is up next month, from being appointed the village treasurer. Phelan could not be reached for comment.

Carol Quinlan said that in addition to herself and Streit, lame-duck mayor Dave Heilmann, and lame-duck trustee Cindy Trautsch (Dist. 1), would be attending the rare, Friday evening meeting at village hall to discuss and possibly vote on the ethics ordinance.

It would be the last time that village board members backing Heilmann will be able to flex their own political muscle before the new board is sworn in next month.

Should there be a full village board tonight, Heilmann could cast the tie-breaking vote to approve the ordinance.

“We did what we said we would by calling a special meeting,” Trustee Quinlan said. “I felt it was important. You can’t silence me or anybody on the board.”

Mayor-elect Sandra Bury also plans to attend tonight's meeting. She said the outgoing board’s political games are part of the village’s deep-seated problems.

“I hope that it doesn’t percolate into the next term,” Bury said.