TRAVELGATE: ATTORNEY GENERAL DEMANDS VILLAGE CLERK RELEASE ALL RECORDS

VILLAGE CLERK DEBBIE WILLIAMS

By Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE | After a 7 month battle with the Village and their attorneys, the Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office has finally determined that the Village  possessed records responsive to our Freedom of Information Act request from July, 2013.  “The vindication by the Illinois Attorney General shows that this Village Clerk and this Mayor have been anything but open, honest, transparent or accountable to the people” Joseph Wiszowaty states. 

 

Debbie Williams contended during the July 23, 2013 Village Board meeting that her trip to Washington DC to attend the Building One America Summit was a “personal trip” then contradicted herself during the meeting stating she was “representing the people of Sauk Village”.  The Attorney General’s office agreed, this trip was in her capacity as “Village Clerk” and her daughter Rosie Williams' as Village Trustee.  Another attendee, Patricia Couch also attended the conference.  Couch served on the Village’s Ordinance Committee and is also a Village vendor.  Couch has subsequently been named to the Police Pension Board.

 The Attorney General issued a 6 page response  that determined the Village Clerk Debbie Williams and her daughter Rosie Williams’ trip to Washington D.C. was “official village business”.  The letter also determines that “the Village of Sauk Village, including the Village Clerk, are subject to public records under FOIA.  This office furthers concludes that the Village did not conduct a reasonable search for those records” the Attorney General stated.

  (***CLICK HERE*** TO VIEW ENTIRE LETTER)

The Attorney General in their determination stated ”the Village Clerk’s records and any other records in possession of the Village concerning the summit – including records related to the funding of the trip – are “public records” under the definition of that term in section 2(c) of FOIA” the Attorney General stated.

 

VILLAGE CLERK DEBBIE WILLIAMS AND DAUGHTER
VILLAGE TRUSTEE ROSIE WILLIAMS

“This office twice asked the Village to describe the measures it took to search for responsive records, and the only substantive information provided was that the mayor indicated that the Village does not possess any responsive records, that the Village Clerk was not required to submit documentation concerning the trip, and that the records department reported that it does not possess records of the Village Clerk’s travel expenses, itinerary, or schedule” the Attorney General states in their determination.  The Attorney General also determined that the Village has not demonstrated that it searched any recordkeeping systems likely to contain responsive records such as the Village Clerk’s e-mail account or paper correspondence.

“The Village Clerk publicly stated that she submitted a draft of her presentation to other Village officials, yet the Village’s response to this office did not account for that draft or communications related to the draft.  Likewise, it is unclear whether the Village possesses the invitation that it acknowledges that the Village Clerk received for the summit” The Attorney General states.

The Village Attorneys billed 5.5 hours for legal fees for an “investigation” it launched into the Travelgate scandal.  The Village in their response to the FOIA requested provided a 1 page spreadsheet for their legal fees.  The Attorney General states “it also appears likely that the investigation generated records that the Village has neither provided to Mr. Wiszowaty nor denied in accordance with section 9(a) of FOIA.”  The determination goes on to state that any investigation that the Village’s attorney conducted are “public records” under the Act.

 

The Attorney General in their determination states “The Village has not demonstrated that it conducted a reasonable search for responsive records, and the available information strongly suggests that such records may be in the Village’s possession.  Accordingly, this office directs the Village to search all recordkeeping systems – including the Village Clerk’s records – that are likely to contain responsive information concerning the summit and to provide those records to Mr. Wiszowaty”.

 

It still has not been determined how much money was raised during Debbie and Rosie Williams fundraising efforts to fund the trip to the Building One America Summit in July, 2013, but we are continuing to press this issue to determine how much money was raised, from who, and how much the total expenses were for this “official village business”.   

“I will not let up on this until we have all the answers.  Debbie Williams, Rosie Williams and David Hanks  are not above the law and are subject to the same rules and laws we all must follow” Wiszowaty states.  “Residents must remain vigilant and must hold their elected officials accountable.  This is taxpayer money, these are vendors for the taxpayers, this is not the personal piggy bank for government officials and vendors should not be shaken down or hit up for ‘donations’ which smells of impropriety for those who sit in positions of authority.  It gives a bad perception of Sauk Village when vendors are routinely asked to “donate” for whatever causes and reeks of pay to play politics” Wiszowaty states.

NO tHANKS VOLUNTEERS!



Edward Sullivan- ex-Volunteer

By Joseph Wiszowaty

SAUK VILLAGE | Spurred on by the election of David Hanks less than 1 year ago, long time resident Edward Sullivan had been determined to resurrect the Village’s baseball and softball this summer, now finds himself on the outside looking in.  Sullivan volunteered to help restore the Village’s baseball and softball programs had been told thanks but no thanks.

Hanks put Village Trustee John Poskin, who was appointed to the Village Board and not elected, in charge of the Parks and Recreation Committee.  Sullivan was working with Poskin to get the baseball fields, fences, dugouts, bleachers, supply shed, concession stand and washrooms back in working order until Sullivan was “dismissed” by Poskin.

“I would ask John if this was getting things he said he would do done and it just never would get done” Sullivan said.  Sullivan served as President of the Sauk Village Sports Association back in the 1970s and remained active in the 1980s in hopes of bringing a Park District to Sauk Village.  The referendum to bring the Park District to Sauk Village failed in the 1980s and in 1963 prior to that.

Sullivan said back in August “We need to get people to trust us again” referring to the failed attempt at the Village’s takeover of the baseball and softball programs in 2009 by now former Trustee Enoch Benson.

In January while other communities are registering children for the baseball and softball programs, Sauk Village will once again not have a viable program in the community.  Hanks and his supporters cleaned up the concession stand and painted in a circus of photo ops many of his political opponents charged as there was never any way that a baseball program would get underway. 

Enbridge, the company which will be putting a 36 inch pipeline through the village, will be spending several thousand dollars in restoring the baseball fields which have not seen an organized children’s program since 2009.

Marva Campbell-Pruitt

Marva Campbell-Pruitt, who chaired the Village’s Beautification Committee and Human Relations Commission resigned in exasperation over the political backlash from the “sore winners”.   Political tensions and personal attacks by supporters of Village Clerk Debbie Williams, who won the April, 2013 election, against Campbell-Pruitt had got worse since The Williams’ election victory.  “Clearly they think they can do a better job, then they should be given the opportunity to do so” Campbell-Pruitt said at the time.

Campbell-Pruitt instituted the Community Garden, taken over now by the McConathy Public Library, the Clean, Preen and Green Program, reinstituted the Hootsie Awards and she also worked with church groups and volunteers to help clean up the village’s landscape as well as picked up garbage.

Sullivan was clearly disappointed “you know all we wanted to do is do something for the kids”.  Now Sullivan, like Campbell-Pruitt has become insignificant to this administration for trying to make a difference.

VOTE NO FOR 9-1-1 INCREASE

OPINION EDITORIAL
By Joseph Wiszowaty
If it doesn't make sense, you shouldn't spend your dollars!  Voters are voting this Tuesday on an increase in the Village’s 9-1-1 Fund from the current cost of $1.00 per phone and cell-phone lines to $2.00 per line.  Sauk Village has 9-1-1 service already and spent $1.9 million on updating the Village's 9-1-1 Center several years ago. 

A NO VOTE is ENCOURAGED for the 9-1-1 Referendum because you get NOTHING MORE IF YOU VOTE YES and it doesn't make sense!  If you take anything away from this, you must vote NO.  

Mayor David Hanks' supporters want you to believe "what's $1.00?  Isn't the Village worth it..."?  Well isn't principal worth something too?

 “Forward Motions”? Come on people, this is the most asinine thing I have heard of doubling your cost of the Village’s 9-1-1 under some bullcrap of providing improvements!  REALLY….

 

What improvements has this Administration proposed to make?  NONE what-so-ever!

To vote YES to this is giving David Hanks a free hand to “borrow” money from this fund without the bobble heads giving a damn about it!

The 9-1-1 Board has NOT voted to recommend an increase in the 9-1-1 Fund that you residents pay, yet David Hanks feels that he needs to raise revenues.  Why is nobody asking this man any questions and giving him Carte Blanche leaving him to his own devises.

VOTING NO on the 9-1-1 measure ensures that David Hanks and the Bobble Heads will not rape the fund to pay for bills.

NOT ONE DIME OF THIS MONEY goes to pay for salaries!  Not a single DIME!   Hanks has already been talking about contracting the dispatchers out begs the question:

Why should residents PAY MORE and GET LESS? Does that make sense?

IF THE RESIDENTS WERE GETTING SOMETHING MORE FOR THEIR MONEY I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THIS REFERENDUM 110% BUT THEY GET NOTHING!   Tell David Hanks and the Bobble Heads they need to do a much better job than they are doing today!

A NO VOTE is recommended on the 9-1-1 increase!

VILLAGE JOINS SUIT OVER CONTAMINATED WATER

By Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |  Sauk Village appears to have joined a lawsuit filed by a group of residents who filed a class-action suit against Roadway Express, Inc, YRC Worldwide Inc, Ardadis US, Inc; Arcadis NV, and Lincoln Limited.  The Village does not appear to have joined the class action suit but is joining in with the residents’ action seeking their own “compensatory, punitive, and statutory damages” including legal fees and costs from all defendants.  Bernice Brewer-Houston, former mayoral candidate, is one of the residents in the class action against the defendants.

The Village claims in their action that the ground water contamination of chlorinated volatile organic compounds was first identified in the Village’s water supply, that services the 2874 residential customers, 61 business and 8 schools, was detected in February, 2008. 

The village, despite the fact that the known carcinogen was being detected in February, 2008 continued to pump water from the contaminated well #3 on adjacent to the Roadway property until May, 2009 took the well offline.  The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency stepped in and issued a Notice of Violation to the village on June 23, 2009 and the Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed suit against the village for the violation. 

In November, 2009, concentrations of vinyl choloride continue to increase and now tests confirmed that wells #1 and #2 on Sauk Trail were now contaminated as well according to the suit.  The Village continued to pump the contaminated water to the residents and businesses until the Attorney General along with the IEPA stepped in in July, 2012 and ordered the Village to provide bottled drinking water to residents since testing confirmed the concentrations of vinyl chloride had risen to 2.50 ug/l in well #1. 

The Village indicates in their suit that they incurred costs for the emergency temporary air strippers in 2012, and the residents will get socked with a $5.3 million price tag over a 20 year period in order to bring the groundwater standards up to safe drinking levels according to the suit.

The suit filed by the village claims that “beginning in 1989, Roadway Express reported a leaking underground storage tank(UST)”.  The village also claims that “between 1989 and 2005, Roadway Express reported six leaking UST incidents to the Illinois EPA.  Roadway Express on its site reported a spill/release of approximately 55-gallons of Tricholorethene (chlorinated solvent) in 2001.  Roadway Express documented the presence of non-petroleum contamination (including chlorinated solvents) on the property dating back to as early as 1993”.

The village contends that “Roadway Express Property has a history of non-petroleum soil contamination”.  “Between 1997 and 2002, Roadway Express reported seven ERNS (emergency response notification system) spills to the United States EPA.  The source of the spills include 15-gallons of hydrazine (1997), 5-gallons of hydrazine (1998), 5-gallons of hydrazine (1998), 30-gallons of fuel oil (1999), 90-gallons of diesel fuel (2000), 55-gallons of trichloroethylene (2001), and 37-gallons of xylene (2002).  No further information on these spills was supplied by the United States EPA or the Illinois EPA, which suggests these spills are open, uninvestigated, and considered environmental violations for the property”.

The village also states in the suit that “Roadyway Express reportedly maintained a waste pit on this property where leaking and damaged containers are placed to drain into the soil and eventually the ground water beneath the site”. 

“In June, 2008, the IEPA advised YRC and Roadway Express that it would only issue no further remediation letters regarding their leaking underground storage tank if no water under the Roadway Express property would be used as potable water.  Sauk Village’s Well 3 is located on the Roadway Express Property” according to the suit filed.

In addition to Roadway and YRC, the Village names Lincoln Landfill located in nearby Ford Heights, less than a ½ mile from the Village’s Well 3 as a defendant in their suit claiming the dump was operated without a valid permit from the Illinois EPA and “has disposed of hazardous materials in its landfill”.  Also that the landfill operators have “done nothing to prevent hazardous materials to enter the soil and migrate into the water…. And…contributed to the contamination of the Sauk Village water source.”

The Village claims negligence, trespass and nuisance against YRS, Roadway , Arcadis, Lincoln Landfill and demands “trial by jury for all causes herein so triable(sic)”.

Residents of Sauk Village passed a referendum in March, 2012 to abandon the wells and transition to Lake Michigan water, however, the costs to make the necessary infrastructure improvements have proven almost unattainable in the short term.  The Village never-the-less increase water rates from $3.50 per 1000 gallons of water to $7.50 per $1000 gallons of water to cover the increased costs the village will have with the loan the IEPA gave the village for the permanent air strippers.  Many residents, including Houston contend that the administration of Mayor David Hanks have used the water funds to balance the budget and not made the necessary improvements that the water rate increase was intended.