Lack of Transparency, Wrong Direction and the Water Highlight Town Hall Meeting

by Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |   Trustee Derrick Burgess hosted his monthly Town Hall Meeting, this time back at Village Hall Wednesday evening.

Village Clerk Debbie Williams filed an inquiry for a possible Open Meetings Act violation, ironically with the Illinois Attorney General's office who the Village has sued over the Travelgate Binding Opinion they issued in October.  The alleged Open Meetings Act violation was "unfounded" Village Attorney Matt Burns said at a board meeting earlier.

About 35 people, including Superintendent of Schools Dr. Donna Leak, School Board Vice President Tammy Jones, Parent Teacher Organization President Jovante Hasty came back to Village Hall as the Town Hall Meetings moved to Rickover over the summer.  "We wanted to move the venue to afford more residents the opportunity to attend which was successful as we had about 95 at a couple of them there" Burgess said.  "We will probably change up the venue again but hosting them at Village Hall is good too." Burgess said following the meeting.

Longtime resident Judy Cast was critical of the administration for the lack of transparency, but complimented some progress made.  "Under the last administration you wouldn't be sitting in a meeting like this" Cast said.  Cast also wants to know how much the Village has spent in legal fees for the Travelgate scandal.  The Village is suing the Illinois Attorney General over the Binding Opinion issued in October which declared that the Village and Village Clerk must turn over all documentation concerning the trip to Washington DC by the Village Clerk her daughter Trustee Rosie Williams and resident and now former Police Pension Board member Patricia Couch.

Larry Stewart, who was removed as Housing Commissioner earlier this year, blasted the Hanks Administration for the lack of direction and the lack of planning.

Marva Campbell-Pruitt criticized the Hanks Administration for the lack of a solid plan and timeline for the water infrastructure improvements.  "We're paying the additional $2.00 per 1000 gallons of water for the repairs but there is no plan in place to justify it" Campbell-Pruitt said.

Dr. Leak addressed Kelvin Jones' questions concerning school children needing text books.  "We want our children to have the latest information not a static text book.  Old text books from 2007 still have George Bush as President" Leak said.  Leak has been working on a multi-year plan with the School Board and hopes one day soon to bring I-Pads to the students of District 168.  There are about 1700 students in district 168 and the district is flush with cash with about $16 million in the bank and zero debt.

Community Activist Bernice Brewer-Houston said residents are still paying for contaminated well water but residents are paying Lake Michigan water prices.  "The Mayor and Trustees are using this money to balance their budget and not putting the money toward repairs to the water mains that are  constantly breaking" Brewer Houston said following the meeting.

"People are tired of paying $300 water bills for this nasty water.  You can't drink it, you can't cook with it.  You have to spend money to treat it, replace corroded fixtures and even after treating it you turn on the faucet and the water still comes out orange.  They got $4.8 million grant for what the Mayor said will free up the village from paying $260,000 per year, but the resident's get no relief" a longtime resident said.  "I'm just disgusted with our Village leaders" she said.

"Residents only get to speak for 3 minutes during Village meetings.  There are no time limits here, I want to hear the concerns of the residents" Burgess said.

Burgess has hosted Town Hall Meetings for the last 6 months and will be taking the month of December off and resuming them in January after the holidays.

Mayor David Hanks and Village Trustee Lynda Washington sat silent during the meeting.  Williams spoke briefly when challenged by a resident.  "I'm speaking as a resident" Williams said.  Williams was accompanied by her husband, who also sits as a Human Relations Commissioner.  Trustee Rosie Williams is the daughter of Debbie Williams but was not present.

Illinois Attorney General seeks info on Housing Commission

by Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |  The Illinois Attorney General has been seeking answers from Village officials since last month.  As of yesterday, Village officials had not responded to the Attorney General's inquiry on a possible violation of the Open Meetings Act.

The Sauk Villager News filed a request for review with the Illinois Attorney General claiming that the Village's Housing Commission may have violated the Open Meetings Act by holding a closed session during a special meeting.  The Open Meetings Act has specific requirements for a public body to hold a closed session meeting.

The Illinois Attorney General was seeking, among other things, an audio recording of the meeting, minutes from the meeting and copies of the agenda.  On the agenda the body was going into closed session to discuss "personnel" and "reports".  (CLICK THIS LINK TO SEE THE ACTUAL LETTER) The Commission does not have any personnel under it's direct supervision and "reports" are not covered for one of the reasons to go into a closed session under the Open Meetings Act.

Gary Holcomb, who serves as the Chairman of the Commission has been circulating nomination petitions to run for Village Trustee in April.  Holcomb has been a loyal supporter of Mayor David Hanks. 

Holcomb caused controversy this past summer by publishing on his social media page and on the Sauk Village Housing Commission page a copy of a resident's state identification card and her son's social security card.  Holcomb was confronted by the Sauk Village Police officials who asked him to take it down, which he later did. 

Holcomb is also at the center of the controversial grass mowing program, where Village officials were forced to borrow $29,660 to pay for mowing service that was not included in the 2014-15 Budget.  Hanks announced earlier this year that the Housing Commission received a grant of $75,000 for mowing vacant homes.  It was recently revealed that the Village was the actual grant recipient not the Housing Commission, however, to date the Village has not received a dime as the entire grant program is under intense scrutiny and is under review.

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE BY THIS ADMINISTRATION

OPINION EDITORIAL
by Joseph Wiszowaty

Why is it that communications between the public and Sauk Village officials has completely broken down?  This weekend was a great example of the catastrophic failure of this administration!

A catastrophic failure in the Village's water infrastructure caused a water outage for Candlelight Village mobile home park, Carlisle Estates, YRC and ABF Trucking Terminals on Friday from 4pm until late Saturday afternoon. 

By 9:15am, Village officials had posted nothing on the Village's official website, nor had any e-mails from any Village officials had gone out.  I emailed Mayor David Hanks and Village Clerk Debbie Williams at 9:15am Saturday asking "Is there any official announcement with respect to the water outage"?  Williams response received at 11am:  "Contact the Police Department.  I have no information regarding a water outage.  If I am given information a eblast is sent."  Hanks never responded to my email.  First of all, why would anyone want to contact the Police Department to get an official statement on a water outage? 

38 minutes after Williams send me her email response she put out an email alert:  "Sauk Village Public Works crews are currently working on a water main break that is affecting residents in Candlelight Village, Carlisle Estates.  ABF and YRC are also being impacted.  Water may come on and go back off as these repairs are made.  Residents will receive more updates as soon as possible"

Clearly these Village officials are disconnected from what is going on in the Village!  My phone was blowing up at 4pm Friday afternoon and didn't stop all night into Saturday morning.  People had no answers, came home from work all nasty and wanted to shower, had plans on Saturday morning where showers were necessary to start their day.  These are peoples' lives and NO OFFICIAL WORD FROM VILLAGE HALL?  Why did the Village not put out something when they shut off hundreds of water users to let them know what was going on?

The first "Official Word" from this administration came 11:38am, 19 hours and 38 minutes after hundreds of water users was shut off.  That should not be acceptable by any standard!  This is not like losing your power as some would argue.  People can generally function for several days without electricity (except during winter when heat is necessary to sustain life).  Water is needed to live!

The first "official" communication from the Water Department came in order to make it all sound good came at 4:55pm, 24 hours after the water had been cut off: 

"Due to the emergency upgrade of our distribution system infrastructure, the water will be shut down for; Candlelight Village, Roadway Trucking, and ABF Trucking  Therefore the Water Department has issued a Boil Order, November 1, 2014.  Residents should boil their water for drinking and cooking for at least 3 minutes prior to use.  The Boil Order will remain in effect until Bacteriological check samples clear with our lab..."

Now David Hanks said nobody is giving him any ideas.  Here's one for you David.... Stop lying to the people!  "Emergency upgrade of our distribution system"... How about telling the truth!  This was a catastrophic failure of the distribution system and a catastrophic failure of this administration!

I want to first and foremost say that Public Works employees did the best job they could with what they had to work with.  They did get the water turned back on in a timely fashion.  This has no reflection on the job they do.  This is clearly a failure of this administration!  




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RESIDENTS LEFT WITH NO WATER AND NO ANSWERS

by Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |  A watermain break near the CN Railroad on the Village's north side have left Candlelight Village residents and the YRC Trucking Terminal without water since 4pm Friday, October 31st.

Residents in the Candlelight Village mobile home park which is in Sauk Village have begun complaining of lack of toilet facilities and showers.  "We don't drink the water so that's not an issue but we have heard nothing from the Village" a resident said.

There was no estimated time for the repair to this major water outage given by the Village on the Village's official website and no email from village officials as of 9am Saturday.

There was no announcement of any village wide boil order which will take place since such a large portion of the Village's water infrastructure has been without water as the pipes have sat empty with no pressure in them.  Contamination can grow in pipes which have lost pressure for sometime and typically communities will have a boil order, however, no "official" word on the Village's website nor email alerts have been given.

As of the time of the publication of this report, there has been no official response from Mayor David Hanks or Village Clerk Debbie Williams.

HANKS SHORT $457,000 IN UNBALANCED BUDGET

by Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE | Finance Director Mohan Roa delivered the bad news Tuesday night following questions from Trustee Derrick Burgess.  The Village is short $457,000 to cover bond payments due and now Mayor David Hanks' administration is calling for borrowing from other funds, funds which are dedicated to other village expenses, in order to make the payments.  

Trustee Derrick Burgess said that this should have been foreseen and he called this out during the budget process in July and action should have been taken then.  Burgess presented the Village Board with a 21 page analysis during the budget hearing which Hanks scheduled a special meeting of the Village Board so he could dissect Burgess' analysis in minutia.  Hanks accused Burgess of offering "zero solutions" in his budget analysis.  "There are five other Trustees and none of them have offered solutions or analysis of their own, yet he (Hanks) didn't call out the rest of his board.  That's politics." Burgess said.  "I'm but one vote and he's got his five votes locked up on the Village Board" Burgess said.  "I offered an analysis of his budget proposal in July, nobody but me asked any questions of any substance during that time" Burgess said.

The Board will now hold a "special meeting" Tuesday, November 4th in order to play the musical shell game of "borrowing" special revenue funds to pay the bond payments due for the Village Hall, 9-1-1 equipment and Fire Equipment purchased. 

Burgess also called to the Board's attention to the fact that the Village will now exceed the budgeted amount in overtime.  Burgess brought this to the boards attention during the Budget hearings in July stating then this was budgeted way too thinly by Hanks.  None the less, the Village Board approved what Hanks called a "balanced budget" Burgess was the only NO vote!

Hanks sarcastically and arrogantly shot back that the Village Board has always had to borrow $500,000 from the water fund in order to pay its bills each year. 

Following the meeting Burgess pointed out that Hanks already had taken $300,000 from the water fund, borrowed some $29,600 from the water and CN noise mitigation fund to cover grass mowing and now is going to borrower $457,000 more.  "That's not $500,000, and we still have about 3 months of bills and payroll" Burgess said following the meeting.  "Just because it was past practice doesn't make it right.  Look at the mess we've been in because of past practice" Burgess said. 

"I want to see a plan from this administration on November 4th with respect to this money" Burgess said.  "They can't say they didn't see this coming.  I did, but I thought it would be in November.  I guess it came a few days early" Burgess said.

Burgess said that there was a $1.6 million deficit in the General Fund going into this fiscal year which began May 1st, and he predicts that will swell to over $2.5 million or more.  Hanks' budget called for no increase in the General Fund deficit, in fact he called for it to be reduced during his review of Burgess budget analysis.

Williams and Hanks Reign of Tyrannical Terror

OPINION EDITORIAL
by Joseph Wiszowaty

A second reign of tyrannical terror has begun in Sauk Village!  You thought Lewis Towers was something you haven't seen squat until you witnessed what is happening in the Village that you're not privileged!  Village Clerk, Debbie Williams is hard at work, well in her opinion she is!  Instead of answering questions about her "personal trip" to Washington D.C., the ethically challenged Williams now wants to limit your free speech!

Williams is proposing that residents and tax payers not be allowed to obtain signatures on petitions in a public building.  No longer will you be able to solicit support to oppose or support a public matter.  I wonder why?  Part of running for any public office is exercising free speech against those who sit in he big boy and girl seats.  Guess what, 2015 is an election year in Sauk Village!  Funny thing is that Debbie Williams now sits in one of those "big girl" seats.  Now she wants everyone else to shut the hell up and not solicit support or even signatures at Village Hall which has been going on since 1957.   Now none of this could be possible without the green light from King David Hanks.  Hanks wouldn't let Williams grow a brain and wouldn't dare make a move or defy King David!

The Bobbleheads (That would be the Fab 5 Trustees) are warming up in the bull pen... heads a bobbin and ready to approve such a move because it protects their turf!  What a bunch of arrogant self righteous people who are running the Village today who would trample on the 1st Amendment Rights of people!  This, if challenged, would fail the test and would be ruled unconstitutional in any Federal Court because you can't tell people you can't ask people a question in a public building.  Never-the-less, these people, who you voted for, are going to pass this nonsense!

People may have been hoodwinked by heavy weights (politically speaking) Debbie Williams and David Hanks thinking that they're doing something good for the Village.  Make no mistake they're doing "good"... for themselves and whatever is politically expedient to dispatch any opposition to this doomed administration.

People of Sauk Village you need to keep your eyes on this administration which is no better than that of Lewis Towers!  Oh yes, remember who came in with Lewis Tower... the common denominator Debbie Williams!

Beware of Politicians Bearing Gifts at Election Time... especially $4.8 million

OPINION EDITORIAL
by Joseph Wiszowaty

SAUK VILLAGE | Governor Pat Quinn came to Sauk Village at election time to announce a $4.8 million grant as part of his multi-billion dollar clean water initiative Saturday afternoon.  Quinn is in for the race of his political life this November and every vote counts which is why some question the timing of this announcement!  Gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner, who just picked up the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune and Crains Chicago Business, has been doing well in polling.  Polls show Rauner with a slight advantage while other show a dead heat. 

No doubt Sauk Village needs the money!  After all, coincidentally, they have a $4.8 million loan which could be paid off with the money saving the Village $287,000 per year in payments over the next 20 years.  Or they could use the funds to repair and update the 50 year old infrastructure buried in the ground.  But the devil will be in the details as they say!  What can the Village actually use this new found money for,  that will be revealed soon enough.

What I’m skeptical about, can this grant vanish if let’s say a new governor gets in office?  Can this grant get cancelled if Quinn gets re-elected and let’s say the state falls short in revenue and all of a sudden the grant goes bye-bye!  Some say no but I say... we'll see. 

Here’s the question virtually everyone I had spoken to Saturday afternoon was asking?  Why didn’t Quinn come bearing gifts during the water crisis in 2012?  Some even go further saying the reason they come bearing gifts is because they feel the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency allowed the residents to drink contaminated water and now is culpable to such an environmental disaster.  My quick answer…. It’s election time and Quinn needs some votes and he is out in Sauk Village and other areas where he never had to campaign before trying to scare up votes.

Watch for those devils in the details!  They will reveal themselves  showing what this grant can and cannot be used!  Stay tuned Sauk Village, there's more to come.

Speaking of election time, couldn’t help but notice that a certain politician has already begun circulating his petitions for Village Trustee at Village Hall no less and the in the sacrosanct Senior Center Saturday afternoon.  No surprise that Gary Holcomb, who serves as Chairman of the Housing Commission had his nomination petitions out on display during the spaghetti dinner Saturday afternoon.  This is the same Holcomb who published a woman's state I.D. and her son's social security card on a Village social media page.  Let's not forget of course Holcomb is the center of the Watergate scandal where funds have been moved around to pay for lawn mowing Gary Holcomb and his commissioners hired but had no money to pay them!  Now Holcomb wants to be your Trustee.... is this the kind of Trustee you can "trust"?

 

Now another candidate who was getting signatures Tuesday night outside in a corridor at Village Hall was scolded by Village Clerk Debbie Williams for circulating petitions.  I guess we see what is backing who!  Shame on you Gary for exploiting an event for your own aggrandizement to have your petitions signed, very tacky! 

 

Don't worry Sauk Village I'll be looking for all those rascally details and keeping an eye on these politicians here in Sauk Village too!