Enbridge Finalizing Crude Oil Pipeline through Sauk Village

by Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |  Michael Murray, Enbridge Project Engineer for Line 78 which will run through Sauk Village, attended the Sauk Village Board of Trustees meeting informing the Village officials that they will be installing a new 36 inch crude oil pipeline.  Construction is expected to bring about 400 to 600 workers into the area beginning in the fall of 2014 according to Enbridge's timeline.  The pipeline will bring some 570,000 barrels of oil per day through Sauk Village from Pontiac, Illinois to Griffith, Indiana.

Enbridge came bearing gifts!  They will be giving Sauk Village two used Chevy Trailblazers one which will be given to the Village's Homeland Security Agency, formerly ESDA.  The other will be used by the Mayor, Village Clerk and some of the Village Trustees as an apparent "perk" to use for Village business.  (EDITORIAL NOTE: While the Village's Homeland Security Agency is driving around in very aged vehicles, the administration apparently feels that their needs are greater).

In addition to the two vehicles, Enbridge is giving scholarships and will be paying to clean up the Village's Baseball Fields near Wagoner School, which have not been played on in many years now.  The Village has no active baseball organization since the Sauk Village Sports Association disbanded despite efforts of Edward Sullivan who wanted to bring the program back for Sauk Village youth.  Sullivan is no longer serving on the Parks and Recreation Committee.

The 36 inch crude oil pipeline will travel along the Norfolk and Southern and Canadian National Railway through Sauk Village into the Village's LogistiCenter and then south along the Commonwealth Edison easement which will provide little disruption to residential areas except for Candlelight Village's south end.

Pipeline Route indicated in RED

DAVIDIANS CONTINUE TO SPIN.... AS EMPLOYEES ARE CUT LOOSE

The Mayer!

OPINION EDITORIAL

by Joseph Wiszowaty

The "Davidians" are hard at work trying to justify and "spin" the necessity of "the Mayer" David "Hatchet Man" Hanks recent axing of long-time Village employees Lisa Gibbons and Rich Atwood!  So says one of the mouth pieces of this Administration.... Once a supporter of the hard working men and women of the Village now to hell with them! And to hell with those who have the audacity to question and shine light into this very dark and secretive administration who moves in the shadows!

This is the worst mayor in Sauk Village's history failing to create a plan to move the village forward and publishing it which he criticized an opponent for the same thing! UNILATERALLY creating a huge budget deficit by borrowing money to balance a budget held together with chicken wire (as one of the Davidians said about the last budget Lewis Towers passed). 14 years on the village board, Mayer, and you still don't get it?

What Mayer in any village unilaterally lays off a "select" two without the input of the department heads? What idiot would not go to the department heads to discuss tactical budgetary measures and agree to what needs to be cut out of the budget? WHO? I tell you who...this administration of David Hanks!

A good leader would let those that they put in charge make the "tough decisions" not screw the department and do so without the department head proposing those cuts! This is the inept and slothful leadership you elected Sauk Village... take a real good look and stop looking at this commentary as a personal attack... THESE ARE FACTS!!! 

YEAH I get that Rich Atwood was not liked by a few in the department because some wanna be chief and would have had to go through him... I get that some in the police department resented Lisa because they perceived her as "running" the department.... well with 23 years of experience at it, she knew how to. Nobody complained when Frank Martin or the idiot Robert Fox was there when Lisa had to take their crap every day! Fact is, these two were sacrificial lambs.... expendable by this administration!  

Anybody who works at a "real" job would have an inclination of how to properly notify an employee that they are being laid off!  For a family man of ten kids, David is showing his lack of class and uncouth! 

Loyalty means nothing to this administration! That is unless you vote in Sauk Village and had a HANKS/WILLIAMS and taped over MORDEN AND MYERS signs in your yard! Be aware this administration will lie to your face without blinking and stab you in the back in a second!

How unprofessional!  I understand that there needs to be cuts made, after all David Hanks has been spending money like a drunk sailor in a strip bar after being out to sea for 10 years!  But he's been spending your tax dollars people WAKE UP, START ASKING QUESTIONS AND HOLD THIS MAN ACCOUNTABLE!  Better watch this man and the Bobble Head Board and end the reckless spending for lobbyist, "T-Shirts", signs and banners none of which the Village can afford while other vendors go unpaid!

FORWARD MOTIONS NOW WILL INCLUDE LAYOFFS- 23 Year Veteran & Deputy Fire Chief Axed

Lisa Gibbons

By Joseph Wiszowaty

SAUK VILLAGE|  A 23 year veteran employee of the Sauk Village Police Department and the Deputy Fire Chief were axed by the Hanks Administration today.

Police Chief Timothy Holevis was summoned to the office of Mayor David Hanks early Wednesday morning who apparently gave the order to place Lisa Gibbons on layoff status.  It was also learned today that another head would roll.  Deputy Fire Chief Rich Atwood, a longtime veteran fire fighter was also placed on “layoff” status today.

Gibbons worked for the Sauk Village Police Department as a dispatcher and began her career nearly 24 years ago.   Gibbons also underwent a battle with village officials which began in 2010 and resulted in Gibbons, Holevis and Sergeant Rebecca Sailsberry filing an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint and Federal Lawsuit which was settled.  Gibbons claimed then wrongful termination and discrimination as part of her claim and the Village settled the lawsuit. 

Former Deputy Fire Chief Rich Atwood

Gibbons served as the Administrative Assistant to the Chief of Police and performed many tasks in her role including serving as the Police Department’s Freedom of Information Officer. 

Hanks did not announce the “layoffs” at Tuesday night’s meeting.  The action was part of what has become common in this administration with “secret” meetings and “consensus” voting following an executive session in which the village’s labor relations attorney from Odelson and Sterk was present. 

Hanks warned residents Tuesday night that further “hard decisions and tough decisions” will need to be made following a question by long-time resident Judy Cast.  Cast blasted Hanks who admitted he is exploring the idea of get rid of more village employees in the Police Dispatch center.  Cast stated she is not in favor of a Referendum, this March, asking residents pay a surcharge “of up to Two Dollars $2.00 per month” for the purpose of “improving a 9-1-1 Emergency Telephone System”.  “We have a state of the Art center.  Why the hell would you do that”?

Hanks admitted in responding to Cast “if someone came to me with a cost savings…(Hanks stumbled for the words)  It was part of the State of the Village address.  It’s the amount of money we can save” Hanks said.

Former Village Trustee Francine Anderson also blasted Hanks “how is this (contracting out the village’s dispatching) going to help” Anderson questioned.  “You gave $500,000 to the law firm (Odelson and Sterk).  I think they (Odelson and Sterk) are the beneficiary more than the residents.  The explanation you gave does not add up.  How is the increase going to save money?” Anderson said.

Both Gibbons and Atwood were told to pack their things and get out, this was their last day!  It is likely that the two will not be returning as Hanks is likely going to seek to abolish their positions in the upcoming budget cycle.  By noon the axe had swung but their absences will be felt for some time many village employees have anonymously stated.

TRAVELGATE INQUIRY DELAYED - ATTORNEY GENERAL EXPECTED TO RESPOND

Rosie Williams and Debbie Williams

by Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |  Staffing changes have delayed the Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office's review of two denials of Freedom of Information Act requests made to the Village.

The Sauk Villager News had requested information into Village Clerk Debbie Williams and her daughter Village Trustee Rosie Williams' trip to Washington D.C. to attend a private organization's conference.   The Williams' allegedly solicited donations on the Village of Sauk Village's official website and from Village vendors according to documents submitted to the Illinois Attorney General.

Debbie Williams claimed that this was a "personal trip" and not official village business, however, Williams made an official report of her trip during a Village Board meeting and aired video on the Village's official website.

Debbie Williams refused to turn over any information "without the Village attorney" telling her to do so.  Village Attorney Michael McGrath allegedly "investigated" the Village Clerk Debbie Williams and Village Trustee Rosie Williams' "personal trip" and determined that there was no impropriety.  The Village received a bill from the attorney's investigation but no findings were apparently provided in writing to the village.

Following the Village's denial of the Freedom of Information Act request, the Sauk Villager News submitted a request for a Public Access Counselor to review the village's denial.

The Attorney General was contacted last week and the attorney originally handling the matter had resigned.  As a result a new attorney has been assigned to the matter according to the Attorney General's spokesperson.

The Attorney General's office has been asked to give a "Binding Opinion" and finding that the Village violated the Freedom of Information Act and to compel the Village to provide the information the village did not originally provide which included a list of donors and amounts "donated" to fund the trip made by the Debbie Williams and Rosie Williams and Police and Fire Pension Board member Pat Couch.

VILLAGE FACES $1.3 MILLION PROBLEM

DAVID HANKS, Mayor of Sauk Village

©2014 Sauk Villager News

By Joseph Wiszowaty

SAUK VILLAGE |  Rumors of village vendors not being paid for months and the village not being able to purchase the necessary equipment it needs to keep the village functioning have led to yet another Freedom of Information Act Request(FOIA).  The Village is currently delinquent on paying its vendors to the tune of $724,352.39 according to the FOIA request received on Friday morning.  With the village’s recent borrowing, the Village is currently more than $1.3 million short in funds to pay its bills; $500,000 more than when Lewis Towers left office in November, 2012. 

Mayor David Hanks has transferred so much money from the Water and other Village Funds to pay employee payroll, the Village cannot make the necessary payments to the Water Department's vendors.  As a result, some vendors have stopped extending credit to the Village until consistent payments can be made, making it virtually impossible for Public Works to perform any normal maintenance or critical repairs.  Because Sauk Village is now on a "cash and carry only" status with many of its vendors, the Water Department cannot purchase the critical parts needed to make needed repairs to fire hydrants and buffalo boxes, according to one vendor.  

Of course, Hanks has pledged, with insistence from the Village Board, to repay the $600,000 owed to the Village's other funds by the end of March 2014.  This deficit was not planned as a contingency in the 2013-14 budget process and as a result has unbalanced the Village's General Fund entirely.

The cash strapped village has been hemorrhaging money since Hanks became interim Mayor in November 2012 and has not offered any recommendation or plan to curtail spending.  Hanks touted in his 2013 campaign bid for mayor, that as interim mayor, he had successfully reduced the amount of outstanding bills owed to vendors to just $300,000.  However, since the election, that number has skyrocketed yet again and this time Hanks need only look in the mirror to assign blame. Hanks has doled out raises retroactive to 2011 to some employees, increased payroll and fringe benefits expenses to the general fund despite the warning from former Village Manager Richard Dieterich in 2011 to not do so without "corresponding increases in revenue to offset" these payroll expenses. 

With his abacus battery on the blink, Hanks has been continuously transferring money from various village accounts including the water fund just to meet payroll.  To date, the Village's water fund has been depleted by several hundred thousand dollars which contributes to much needed water related repairs to go undone. Hanks has also hired a lobbyist, unlike any of the neighboring towns, costing the village an additional $36,000 per year.  "Generally, the mayor of the community serves as the lobbyist in Springfield when they need something done" said Gene Williams Mayor of Lynwood at the recent Economic Forum hosted by Sauk Village.

Hanks' unabated overspending has added tremendously to an already strained budget and growing deficit. Yet Hanks failed to acknowledge the Village's true picture in his recent State of the Village press release painting a less than rosy picture “The village is currently averaging three months behind in payment to our vendors; however, we have reduced that from the average of five months in the past. The village remains in debt but we are currently working on ways to reduce increased debt and searching for ways to address that which has already occurred.”   The facts are that some vendors get paid much quicker than others, while others go unpaid for several months beyond the 90 days Hanks acknowledged in his press release. 

Hanks stated several weeks ago that now he and the entire Board of Trustees will have to make “tough decisions” on how to manage the Village's mounting debt and inter-fund borrowing practices now that the Village's financial crisis of 2009 has returned with a vengeance!

HERE IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE VILLAGE’S FINANCIAL WOES:

• ·       The Village is currently 60 days delinquent in paying for the lobbyist Alfred G. Ronan, Limited, that Hanks wanted and put on the payroll this summer to the tune of $36,000 per year

• ·       delinquent in paying legal bills for Equal Employment Opportunity Commission actions brought by employees to the tune of $27,929.00 from as far back as July, 2012. 

• ·       The Police Department vendor, John’s Arrow Transmission shop  is owed $6,802.44 for work it did on three police vehicles going back as far as September, 2012 according to the FOIA request.   

• ·       The Police Department Brackman & Company is owed $4,465.78 in repairs on the Village’s police squad fleet.  

• ·       delinquent in its membership dues to the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association to the tune of $3,778.00 which was billed in September, 2013.

• ·       The South Suburban Emergency Response Team membership dues of $1000 invoiced to the Village in July, 2013.

• ·       $137,872.50 is due to Robinson Engineering.  It is expected that this vendor will be paid from the IEPA low interest loan the Village just received.  The loan is to be repaid over the next 20 years. 

• ·       The biggest single vendor who has not been paid since June, 2013 is the Village’s law firm Odelson and Sterk, LTD.  Invoices show the village is delinquent to the law firm to the tune $226,674.27, however, these do not include services for December and January which could likely balloon the bill to near $310,000 for 7 months service.  Hanks and the Village Board only budgeted $500,000 and the Village is likely to exceed this amount despite the fact that the litigation with the village has decreased since Lewis Towers left office.  

• ·       The Village is also delinquent to Municipal Code Corporation for codification of the Village’s Municipal Code book in May, 2013.  Municipal Code Corporation is owed $7,118,76 which was suppose to come from money set aside and earmarked when Winpak reimbursed the village for expenses in 2012. 

• ·       Kane McKenna and Associates, who has helped David Hanks with his Economic Development is owed $13,437.75 for their services since the summer of 2013.

One of the village’s vendors is not happy with the way the Village is paying its bills.  “In Sauk Village if you get a water bill and don't pay they will shut off your water right? ‘AHHH We will pay them later’.  Now 30 days goes by and still nothing” the frustrated vendor said.

HERE IS THE LINK TO ALL VILLAGE VENDORS NOT PAID:  ***CLICK HERE***

Original material, and photographs, copyright 2014 Sauk Villager News; all rights reserved.

 

Assistant States Attorney Sondra Denmark inspired to run for judge by teen held captive by drug trafficker

SONDRA DENMARK

by Chinta Strausberg
An assistant state’s attorney both in Cook and Will County since 2004, Sondra Denmark was inspired to run for the 15^th sub-circuit judge position (which covers Sauk Village) by a teenage girl once arrested for carrying drugs…a case that ignited a feeling of compassion but ended with her getting the teen’s captor behind bars where he belong.

Born in Chicago on the South Side, Sondra Denmark was raised in Hazel Crest, Illinois where she attended the Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills, Illinois State University majoring in public relations, and Northern Illinois University College of Law where she graduated in 2004.

Armed with her degree, Denmark began her career as an assistant state’s attorney in Cook County and later with Will County after the birth of her two children.

When asked when and why did she desire to be a judge, Denmark said it all began with the case of a 17-year-old girl who was being charged with a Class X felony. The teen was facing a six-year prison term. When the teen was arrested, she was carrying cocaine and heroin but the man with her was not carrying any contraband; however, the police arrested both of them, according to Denmark.

“When I saw her, she just didn’t belong. She was shaking. She never had a traffic ticket or a driver’s license.” Denmark began to dig for the truth.  “It turns out that the guy she was with was using her to traffic drugs across the Midwest,” recalled Denmark. “The young lady almost went to prison because her attorney asked me to give her four-years and not the six-years.”

Denmark was troubled by this case saying, “something just didn’t feel right. My spirit would not rest easy.” That is when Denmark did her own homework on the girl and what she found out made her even more determine to seek justice for this frightened teen.

“I found out she was a runaway and had been missing from her parents for three-years,” Denmark said. Given this information, Denmark contacted federal officials and was successful in getting the man who had held the teenage girl captive indicted, charged and sentenced for trafficking drugs across the Midwest and taking the teen he had held since she was 14-years-old.

“I went back into court and dismissed all of the charges against her and reunited her with her family. At that moment, I realized that there are not enough people who ask those hard questions of why and I needed to run for judge to make a difference. She inspired me to do that,” Denmark said.

“She made me feel like I needed to do something to make a difference and judges need compassion. We need compassion in our communities. I am compassionate about securing justice for every individual.”
In her spare time, Denmark loves to read and spend time with her two children. She volunteers with the Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy organization where she loves to talk about curing Autism, and the Parent Teacher’s Organization. Denmark has a child with special needs and is involved in the special recreational activities in the community.

If elected judge, Denmark will ensure that justice prevails in her courtroom and with decisions that include compassion.

Denmark’s website is: www.friendsofsondradenmark.com

You can read her original post by ***CLICKING HERE***