TRUSTEES SET TO DO ABOUT FACE, AGAIN

Hang on residents of Sauk Village, you might get whiplash after the nonsense going on at Village Hall!  The Fanatical Five Trustees are slamming on the brakes...AGAIN and doing another about-face as they continue their assault on the taxpayers of Sauk Village.  When Derrick Burgess was elected by the residents to be Mayor and Village President of the Sauk Village in May, 2017, Mayor Burgess began his administration with a Trustee Board of business professionals and a Pathway to Progress Plan authored by the mayor in hand.  This plan outlined the blueprint for the rejuvenation of Sauk Village and its Residents.  Mayor Burgess AND his Board quickly assessed what worked and what failed about former Mayor David Hanks’ Administration.  Hanks hired a full-time Village Administrator, who then hired himself a part-time assistant.  The Village’s contracted Risk Management  company, The Owens Group also provided a Human Resource Consultant, Dr Alicia Straughter on a limited basis.  Mayor Burgess and his new Board of a Trustees envisioned an expanded need for Human Resource needs outside of what was identified by the previous administration.  Dr. Alicia Straughter was retained by Burgess after he became mayor and the Village Board engaged her as HR Consultant and the Village’s representative outside of her agreement with the Owens Group.  Ms Straughter’s expanded role focused on revamping the Village’s human resource processes aimed at minimizing violations of employees’ rights thereby virtually eliminating lawsuits which had continuously plagued the Village.

Following the election of Trustees Debbie Williams, Sherry Jasinski and Gary Bell, in April of 2019 the trio joined political forces with Bernice Brewer and Linda Todd to terminate the agreement with Dr. Straughter.  By July 31, 2019, the Trustees voted 5 to 1 to terminate the agreement with Dr. Alicia Straughter over the objections of Mayor Derrick Burgess And Trustee Rodrick Grant who knew the Village needed a Human Resource professional.  In August 2019, The 5 trustees led by the taxpayers’ law firm won their lawsuit to hire Village Administrator Christopher Williams over Mayor Burgess’ objections.  Now, In less than 9 months, the same Trustees who voted to bring in Christopher Williams turned on him and fired him. 

Just like last week when the Trustees hired a new Village Administrator, tonight at a Special Meeting,  the Trustees will once again perform their 2nd Do-Over to hire a new Human Resource Consultant, Sonya K. Douglas.  Ms Douglas comes with 14 years of Human Resource experience including having worked in the Village of Markham from 2015 to 2016 and is currently a Consultant for Elementary School District 159 in  Matteson.

Mayor Burgess had indicated to the Village Board that a Human Resource professional is critical to the Village long before the Trustees had dismissed Dr. Straughter last year. 

ANOTHER CONTROVERSIAL HIRE BY TRUSTEES

Jerry Hurkes- Fanatical Five Trustees' second political
 pick for Village Administrator

Trustees being led by the ring-leader Debbie Williams are set once more to make yet another controversial hire according to this Tuesday's agenda.  Without so much as posting the position of Village Administrator, the five rogue Trustees are set to hire Jerry Hurckes.  Since sometime in early 2018, Hurckes has worked as the Village of Summit’s Executive Director.  So what do the Village of Summit and Sauk Village have in common?  Their lawyers and law firm Odelson and Sterk.

Hurckes reportedly attended a closed session of the Village Board and was the only candidate for Village Administrator presented for interview.  The Trustees did not have a search committee, the position was not posted through South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, nor was it published so it would appear that this hire is once again a politically motivated.

Hurckes held a political position with the failed Illinois Congressman Daniel Lipinski, who recently was defeated.  In fact, Hurckes, according to published reports had been seeking to become the Village Manager in Oak Lawn since sometime in 2019, his hometown.  Hurckes also ran unsuccessfully for Mayor in Oak Lawn. 

The Village Board is already poised to change the job description apparently to make accommodations for Hurckes.  Debbie Williams is no stranger to changing job descriptions to help friends and family get jobs, she was on the Village’s Library Board before taking office as Village Trustee when that board effectively "dumbed down" the qualifications so they could hire her daughter as Head Librarian.  Head Librarian’s and Director typically require a Master’s Degree; Williams’ daughter did not possess the required degree but she got the job.  The Library Board also voted to require any candidate be a resident of Sauk Village, the prior librarian lived in Indiana for years.  For the first time in the Library’s history they have an unqualified Library Director thanks to Debbie Williams. 

Hurckes, who is white, currently works part-time in the Village of Summit and earns about $35,000 according to

Resignation Letter Printed with Permission

public records.  Sauk Village has been without a full-time Village Administrator since the five Trustees fired their hand-picked guy, Christopher Williams.  Christopher Williams, who is black, was only on the job for 9 months after the Trustees fought Mayor Derrick Burgess on bringing him on.  Mayor Burgess at the time stated that he objected to the process by which the Trustees created the position of Village Administrator taking away the Mayor's ability to make the appointment like virtually every mayor has had in Sauk Village's history.  Christopher Williams offered his "involuntary" resignation claiming "There have been significant breaches of the terms of my contract, false allegations about my performance, and a steady resistance to my decision-making authority...."  Rumor has it that Debbie Williams would routinely put undue pressure upon Christopher Williams barking orders at him about firing or taking unwarranted action against certain employees of color as if she were herself alone his boss.  All of the abusive, intimidating and hostile work environmental actions by Debbie Williams went unchecked by the four Trustees which include Bernice Brewer, Linda Todd, Sherry Jasinski and Gary Bell.

 

It was reported that Debbie Williams held a pow-wow with her friend this past weekend and that she intends to run for Mayor in April, 2021.  She has been supported in her quest to shut down the progress Mayor Derrick Burgess has made from 2017 to 2019 by fellow Trustees Bernice Brewer, Linda Todd, Sherry Jasinski and Gary Bell.  Debbie Williams and her team have made some very bad decisions and it took them 6 months to put a budget together last year.  The Budget was due before the start of the fiscal year May 1^st and once again, Debbie Williams and her group of Trustees have been focused on politics over policy.

 

Only Trustee Rodrick Grant has been the voice of reason throughout this political mess that Debbie Williams has brought to the Village Board.  Williams has once again brought a circus atmosphere back to Village Hall as she did during her tenure as Village Clerk before losing in 2017. 

“Everything that Debbie and her bobble heads have done has completely lacked transparency which is what these five dunderhead Trustees complained about and lied to residents to get elected.  Funny how what they complain about their doing the exact same thing” a long-time resident said after reading the agenda. 

FANATICAL 5 TRUSTEES LOOK HIGH AND LOW FOR IMPROVEMENTS, CONTINUE TO WREAK HAVOC IN SAUK VILLAGE

Since being elected to office as the end result of dismal voter turnout of only 9 percent, the Fanatical 5 Trustees continue to stifle growth and improvements in Sauk Village. Infrastructure repairs and improvements promised during their campaigns never materialized, Public Works continues to leave orange fenced open holes throughout the pothole riddled streets, and the glut of stores and businesses continues to exemplify the poor condition of vacant homes continues to plague the Village.

That was their plan all along. In what smacks of a revenge plot, the Fanatical 5 Trustees came into office in May, 2019. Since that time they have effectively stopped all progress in Sauk Village. They conspired to fire Dr. Alicia Straughter, the HR Consultant hired for Sauk Village and was also handling Union negotiations, and Joseph Wiszowaty, who was working dual roles as Economic Development, Grants Administration and writing, and assisting with housing and community development and administered and applied for IHDA grants for addressing high grass and demolition of abandoned homes in Sauk Village.

Straughter, who was making $85.00 per hour was limited to working 17.45 hours per week. At $1483.25 per week, Dr. Straughter had to pay her own taxes and insurance. For the approximate $77,000 per year, Straughter was operating in key areas of Human Resources and compliance as well as handling Union negotiations. With representing clients such as SEIU Local 1, and others, Straughter was qualified to work in that dual role.

The actions of the Fanatical 5 Trustees was quickly exposed. In the May 24, 2019 edition of the South Suburban News who did a special report piece on the actions of the Fanatical 5 Trustees, it was pointed out then how their actions affected ongoing progress and interruptions in programs in place under the Burgess Administration were being affected. Today, residents are asking "What happened to the grass cutting program?" The answers were there. All residents had to do was recall the numerous warnings. Apparently, the residents felt this was mere speculation however ask the status of these programs today, and nobody in the Fanatical 5 can tell you.

This chaos came about shortly after they forced out Wiszowaty, who was instrumental in bringing the Gas & Wash to Sauk Village, selling of the old Laundromat property, and brought several new business into the Village such as the re-opening of Sugar Shack, Zee-O-D's Pizza, and BFF Banquets. The HR Consultant and the Economic and Community Development results producing personnel in the Mayor Burgess Administration were effectively forced from their positions in the Village by the Fanatical 5 Trustees. within a week of their being sworn into office.  Can you spell VINDICTIVE?  Neither can they!!

Once completely empty storefronts were transformed into gaming establishments that not only filled once vacant space, but also generated a constant revenue stream to Village Coffers through gaming revenues. And though viewed as negative businesses, Sauk Village by contrast has fewer establishments than neighboring communities such as Crete and Steger. But the Fanatical 5 Trustees were never about bringing IN revenue to begin with, as they had NO PLAN, NO CLUE, and NO KNOWLEDGE, NO EXPERIENCE definitely, NO EXPERTISE in any of these areas.  If they had, this town would not have deteriorated to this level in 63 years!!

Their answer? FORCE a Village Administrator on the taxpayers of Sauk Village at $90,000 a year PLUS BENEFITS, and be willing to SUE THE MAYOR AND TAXPAYERS COSTING $35,000 IN LEGAL FEES TO GET ONE, to perform ALL THESE DUTIES (Impossible!) and effectively take away day to day operations from Mayor Burgess, whom the residents overwhelmingly voted for, whom for $20,000 a year PART TIME PAY was effectively holding department heads accountable, paying off outstanding debts and turning around the dismal conditions of Sauk Village.

Since being elected to office in May, 2019 the Fanatical 5 Trustees have NO ANNOUNCED PLANS to improve the obvious poor conditions or fill these key positions that were once working for the betterment of the Village. They can't answer the status of current Grants or IHDA funding, they can't tell you what's going on for Public Services nor for Economic Development because THERE IS NONE, NADA, ZILCH!!!

As for Public Services Committee Chair Bernice Brewer who has held that chair SINCE BEING ELECTED in 2017 has not held A SINGLE COMMITTEE MEETING. So getting any straight answers to why potholes continue to grow, as streetlights continue to fail, and fire "hydrates" replacements go unaddressed doesn't seem to see the numerous orange fencing holes and displaced parkways throughout the Village. Nor has Trustee Brewer addressed any of these items with Public Works SINCE BEING ELECTED TO OFFICE. But then again, she'd actually have to FORM A MEETING AND COMMITTEE in order to do that and stay off her friend Bob Murphy's Facebook page.

Now that they have "waisted" a year with their vindictive governing, the Fanatical 5 Trustees have consulted their personal taxpayer funded law firm to ask their selected Village Administrator to RESIGN, only to turn around and officially FIRE HIM in at a recent Board Meeting.  If that is not FUBAR, we don't know what is!

Covering up their own mistakes
At the Village Board Meeting Agenda held via Zoom video conferencing meeting on June 9th, 2020, the Village Board will seek another Human Resources Consultant as the Fanatical 5 Trustees hold talks to bring in yet ANOTHER Village Administrator. Recall that the Village Insurance Carrier MANDATED an HR person be brought into the Village back in 2015 to stem the ever increasing lawsuits brought on the Village through its haphazard hiring and firing practices, and its treatment of its employees at the unqualified hands of the then Hanks Administration. Realizing it is repeating the mistakes of years past, the Fanatical 5 Trustees must now re-adhere to the mandates put in place by the Village's insurance carrier.