The Village has released recordings from last Monday evening’s Village Board meeting. We understand an overflow crowd of residents witnessed what ultimately deteriorated to an “R-Rated” display of political theater near the conclusion of the three-hour meeting.
Twelve residents spoke during public comment. Eleven of them were given due respect from the board beginning with the first speaker who called for an investigation of President McLaughlin’s actions in office. The speaker was met with no interruption, and in fact, was acknowledged with a respectful “thank you” from President McLaughlin at the end.
To listen to the comments of the speaker, who just happens to be the Campaign Chair for Trustees Meroni and Selman’s SOS Party, click here.
However, the third speaker was interrupted so loudly and frequently by Trustee Messer that the chair was forced to suggest he would need to leave the room if he could not maintain decorum. Even Trustee Meroni stated “Let him go on continuing to make a fool of himself” when Messer continued on even after the speaker was done. A direct link to that exchange can be found here.
As always, we recommend readers listen to all comments from residents who took the time to attend and contribute to the discussion.
After public comment, three representatives from ComEd provided an update on the planned installations of Smart Meters in Barrington Hills beginning in May. Their presentation can be heard here.
During the finance discussion, Trustee Harrington once again objected to payments to Patrick Bond, temporary Village counsel, despite the fact that neither he, nor any other Trustee, has recommended a replacement for Bond who continues to gladly answer legal questions from every board member. Bond’s billing was denied by five trustees, and according to recorded minutes, he has not been paid since August or September of last year, yet he continues to serve the board dutifully and without hesitation.
The vote on the 911 consolidation ordinance was tabled by Trustee Gohl due to public comment that evening and because of pending insurance information from QuadCom. His motion passed with only one nay vote from Trustee Meroni.
During her Roads & Bridges report, Trustee Meroni stated that she was unprepared to present a mid-range plan beyond the current year to catch up on the 4.5 mile backlog of road resurfacing, but committed to present one at the February board meeting.
Trustee Messer presented an ordinance he had drafted repealing the code allowing the Village President to appoint special counsel. Many, including The Observer, viewed Messer’s draft as ambiguous in scope and could have also been used to take the power to appoint the Village Attorney away from the office of the Village President. After much wrangling, Messer finally agreed to change the dubious language, and it passed by a 5-2 vote.
During the Board of Health report and discussion, Trustee Harrington and Bob Kosin gained support from the board to allow for more extensive periodic testing of well water from public locations required to do so by law, such as churches, the Riding Center and the Village Hall well. We commend the members of the Board of Health for taking on this initiative, since nearly every resident has no alternative to well water.
Finally, after nearly two and half hours the much-anticipated report on Administration that had attracted most of the crowd was presented.
President McLaughlin stated that he had vetoed the Anderson-LeCompte commercial horse boarding amendment on January 6th, and then proceeded to provide a very reasonable explanation regarding why he exercised his right, as can be heard here. Despite this veto, the same five Trustees who voted to approve the amendment can override the veto at the next Board meeting.
McLaughlin then spoke to his initiation of a special counsel review into the manner in which the Anderson-LeCompte boarding amendment was handled and allegations of impropriety brought forward by residents. That recording can be found here.
No sooner than the President finished, Trustee Harrington interrupted the agenda with his own call for an investigation in a lengthy prepared statement mirroring the comments of the SOS Party chair earlier in the evening.
Harrington, who recently donated $10,000 to Trustees Meroni and Selman’s SOS Party, accused McLaughlin of political motivation in his call for a special investigation regarding the horse boarding amendment and cited a laundry list of anything he could name, from appointments made by McLaughlin that adhered to Village Code and the Open Meetings Act, to allegations of impropriety in conducting the annual Village “party” known as the “Hills are Alive Heritage Fest.”
Despite the disrespectful interruptions by fellow Trustees throughout the meeting, particularly from Messer, McLaughlin kept his composure and continued to maintain order in the crowded MacArthur room as best he could. He never objected any investigation Harrington proposed, but his assuredness clearly got to Messer who finally burst out with something we will not reprint in this publication, though it can be heard here, but readers are advised it is NSFW (not suitable for work).
Earlier in the evening, Trustee Messer had expressed disappointment when he reported that only five permits had been issued in 2014 for new home construction. Frankly, given the frequent negative publicity Barrington Hills has endured for nearly a decade over cell towers, lighting ordinances and multiple failed attempts to address horse boarding in our “equestrian” branded community, conflicts of interest on two boards and his precedent-setting drop of the “F-Bomb” in a public meeting, we’re pleased anyone is building here at all.
The link to the full menu of edited recordings from the meeting can be accessed here.
The single blackest eye in our village was the theatrical performance of the triad of Messer, Harrington and Meroni shouting down Jack Reich during his public comment time. They also couldn’t resist deep-sixing our President which shows their immaturity and cowardess. Curiously, Trustee Selman was silent.
We have a serious problem in this village with respect to altering the rules of public comment and free speech. Public comment is now being manipulated by the individual detractors on this BOT to continue their coverup of misdeeds.
Their fear is obvious, and it is finally coming full circle.
Apparently, Mr. Reich’s questions hit a serious nerve as to what they are worried about regarding what will be found. And it appears that their former boss’ mantra of transparency in government upon which their election was predicated; simply flew out the window along with their demeanor and professional conduct! A rant of improprieties speech by Trustee Harrington suddenly was replaced in order to deflect attention from their OMA violation spreadsheet.
As a member of the public, I don’t plan on refraining from public comment one single bit.
The public should stand up and call for the rules of conduct for Trustees be revisited and changed. Public comment is the only redress for our residents to speak their mind, this manipulation needs to stop.
Hear, Hear Hal
The stench of Abboud must have been evident at the meeting, from former Trustee Knoop’s reciting “alleged” charges identical to those later recited in a longer version by Trustee Michael Harrington.
Only one holed up in his basement furiously listening to meeting minutes would take the time to be so explicit in his “allegations” and put them in writing.
Typical Abboud style to make unsubstantiated charges against persons perceived to have questioned his very questionable activities, then calling upon his obedient Board Members, present and past, to deliver his dirty work.
President McLaughlin correctly called for an Investigation into the allegations of improper behavior by Messer, Meroni and Selman and others re the Commercial Boarding Legislation, and the request for their recusal from voting on the issue.
A proper response by Messer, Meroni and Selman would have been to calmly welcome an investigation to clear the air, once and for all.
That would assume that they actually had nothing to hide. Their reaction was just the opposite, in fact approaching violence in their cries of outrage.
Where there is smoke, there must be fire.
The theme song of SOS should be:
Lacky – Lackies.
A group of people that can’t think for themselves, and have a Boss that does the thinking for them. Anyone that lacks the intelligence to figure it out for themselves.
That statement from phony Meroni in the recording when stating she does not wish the public to voice their opinions calling them McLaughlin’s lackies indicates just what she and her cronies think of anyone who disagrees with the VBH Cartel. Au contraire’ Ms Phony – we think, we speak, and more importantly – we vote.
In their strategy sessions, they thought that dusting off former Trustee Knoop to deliver a condemnation letter of charges against President McLaughlin was a grand idea. I am absolutely convinced after listening to his comments, he didn’t write a word of it; in fact Abboud gave him the talking points. Unfortunately, he didn’t deliver the speech well, while stumbling uncomfortably through the words. A cautionary tip, you recruits have to spend more time in rehearsal school, so they can be more convincing in the next round.
This truly is a village which resembles a theater in the round. Yes, democracy is a dirty game; so let’s reserve it for those who can stand and deliver the goods.
I think this is an excellent description of the BOT meeting. I will encourage all I meet to read it and listen to the tapes.
I think Joe should apply for Chicago’s kabuki theater, with his rendition of one angry man. He is inherently funny and it is not too late for a change of profession.
McLaughlin clearly has the most class of this bunch. The behavior of a few of our trustees has reached the point of surreal. I’m waiting for a Daily Herald article that accurately reflects the damage and chaos caused by the bunch of self-centered hooligans that’s attempting to hijack our village.
Some in the Riding Club are warning this is going to be a brutal campaign as though they’re looking forward to slandering good candidates volunteering their time and services to all residents when elected. Why in God’s name do they so enjoy causing trouble and yelling “FIRE” when there is none? Don’t these people know they’ve decimated their reputation as a social club with their negative politicking, or do they just not give a damn anymore?
For too many years now when people ask where I’m from I say the Barrington area. That came from experience since when I used to say Barrington Hills the other person would grin and let fly with something they read in the paper about is. This has got to stop.
I’ve heard it said by a riding club member that this is “all out war”. They don’t have the intelligence or the facts to support a blow out of Brian, Brian and Michelle. Those three have more class and intelligence in their baby fingers than that sorry bunch ever could dream of having. Which leads to the point: make sure your neighbors and friends vote for reason. Each and every one of us need to get that vote out. Many friends are out of town. Remind them they can and must vote anyway. Once this cartel of evil is dismantled and reason once again prevails, only then we will see our neighbors smiling again and our esteem returned to the wonderful village we used to be. And with that reason comes our property values returning to where they should be too. It’s been far too long and we all have a responsibility to see this through. Meet these candidates and talk with them. Find out for yourself that they are the real deal and are in it for the right reasons. Let’s give Marty and Colleen the board they need to straighten this mess up once and for all. I applaud President McLaughlin for his courage and dignity. And his grace under pressure and most importantly, doing the right and ethical thing.
When you don’t have the facts on your side, you argue the law:when you don’t have the law on your side; you argue the facts. When you have neither the facts nor the law on your side, you shout like hell! That is what residents witnessed from Joe this past BOT meeting.
I want to compliment Joe for his performance because after so many years [service] on the Board under the thumb of Abboud, we finally found an issue Joe is so very passionate and learned about . . . . . . and that is saving his own bacon.
Given the timing and sequence of events starting with the secret LeCompte campaign donation through BOT vote on Anderson II, President McLaughlin would be derelict in his duty to VBH taxpayers if he did not appoint special counsel to investigate the ongoings surrounding Anderson II.
As far as Stieper fantasies go, Joe, mine are more in line with Kate Upton on the beach bringing [my wife and] me our favorite beverage rather than behind closed door activities occuring between you, Meroni and Selman; but hey Joe, that’s just me. . . . .
Joe, given the avalanche of data leaning toward political corruption occuring in our equestrian friendly hamlet, without something more difinitive by you in the form of evidence suggesting the contrary, you cannot dismiss the justiciation for an independnent investigation by shouting “it ain’t so”, Joe!
Any chance of seeing the video of “Kabuki Joe’s” public performance on this venue? It would be most interesting for the remainder of the villagers to view.
Quite a raucous BOT meeting. I “passed” on public comment because at the last BOT meeting Trustees Harrington and Messer shouted me down when I was explaining why I thought they (Messer, Meroni, & Gohl) had violated the Open Meetings Act for the Dec 15 BOT meeting where they ramrodded the Horse Ghetto Text Amendment. Too bad, Trustee Messer, had you listened to my reasons, your later confabulation of why there was no ‘meeting’ between you, Gohl and Meroni would likely have changed. Not to worry, The OMA complaint had already been filed. I was hoping that the AG could listen to the audio tapes – which they do!
I haven’t seen or heard former Trustee Knoop for some time. He encourages calling in the Gendarmes – exactly what President McLaughlin is doing with Special Counsel. The last time Knoop was in the news was when Meroni, LeCompte, Selman, and Messer testified at an Illinois Election Board Hearing. Knoop was identified as having received the checks from LeCompte, and then he (in Attorney Means’ words “the bag man”) distributed the checks to Messer, Meroni, and Selman, who failed to report the source of the campaign contribution. Meroni blamed the non-reporting on a clerk who worked in her husband’s law office (who was in Florida and unavailable to testify). Messer – who disagrees with 2 Appellate Court opinions and any other lawyers’ interpretations of Illinois or Municipal Code – testified he was ‘fuzzy on the election code”. Selman, as usual, said little, apparently waiting a queue from Meroni. THE ELECTION BOARD FOUND THEM IN VIOLATION. ~ a short time later the Village found LeCompte in conformance with Home Occupation (the infamous Schuman Letter). I was at that Hearing. There is a transcrpt.
Mr. Messer – that looks like Quid Pro Quo. You should welcome an investigation – that is what the Community thinks. All your yelling and cursing and screaming is not going to shut us up. Your threats of defamation will face a real challenge. First, you are a public official; second, a person can be defamed because the truth is told; third, these are allegations – not one of the three of you will talk about it, other than to deny the allegations. The public has a right to know.
Is this political? Not against you, Mr. Messer – you’re done, you’re gone; THANK YOU FOR NOT RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION! The residents who attend and listen to the BOT won’t have to listen to your angry, vulgar and obscene rants anymore. So that isn’t political, Mr. Messer. It is because we think that you, Meroni, Selman, Harrington and Gohl are putting the Village at risk with your biased favoritism of a few (“make LeCompte Legal” – Yetarian) to the detriment of an overwhelming majority of the Village.
As for Meroni and Selman, whose campaigns Knoop will manage, that is political! It is faster than any actions by the AG, the FBI, the prosecutors, or civil suits. They will be defeated and their terms will expire just by educating the public of their tricks, conflicts and biases, with recordings, transcriptions and by videotapes of the meetings. Perhaps the handwriting was and is on the wall – force through the horse ghetto TA, try to take away Presidential statutory authorities BEFORE April, when the three of you will finally be dumped from the BOT, and then we only have Gohl and Harrington to deal with, and no Riding Club fanatical leaders/Abboud directed majority votes! That will be a great day in April with the three of you gone.
But don’t despair, Mr. Knoop, I will encourage any prosecutorial agency to investigate your candidates, and former officials, and anyone else who violated any laws or ordinances; let the public know. Put them under oath. Lets get the truth!. We will have a long memory, lots of records, and videotapes.
James T. O’Donnell
(not the former Plan Commissioner)
Copy to the President and the Board of Trustees of Barrington Hills
Great job Jim!
A reader who attended last week’s Village Board meeting has uploaded a video recording of the full meeting to YouTube, and they asked if we would post the link to the recording. We’re more than happy to oblige.
Part 1 of the recording can be viewed here:
Part 2 can be viewed here:
Does the term smoking gun become apparent here?
Trustee Harrington says that Pres. McLaughlin’s decision to hire special counsel is a waste of taxpayer money. He says it is a political witch hunt. What Harrington refuses to discuss is Abboud and his compliant BOT spent in excess of $180,000.00 of VBH tax money at both the trial and Appellate Court level to enforce the “cease and desist” recommendation by VBH ZBA which Abboud and BOT successfully did against LeCompte in both courts.
Then, magically, 34 days after the secret campaign donation in February of 2011 from LeCompte to the Save 5 Acres political team of Messer, Meroni and Selman, the Schuman Letter (which was neither written nor signed by Don Schuman) was issued by [Abboud] the Village illegitmately making commercial boarding activities legal on Oakwood Farm under VBH Home Occupation Ordinance (“HOO”). Thereafter, VBH with Abboud at the helm, abandoned all legal proceedings against Oakwood Farm without explanation to taxpayers requiring Drury to step into the shoes of VBH under the IL Adjacent Landowners Act to challenge the legal enforceability of the suspicious Schuman Letter.
But it did not stop here, VBH under Abboud and BOT spend another $7,055.00 of taxpayer money to Burke-Warren to do nothing except sit in the courtroom and monitor the court proceedings between Drury and LeCompte and report back to Abboud. Then, many more thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees were spent strategizing in executive session on how to sell the Schuman Letter to residents and quell public comment by loud dissenters who wanted BOT to be accountable and explain the legal rational behind the Schuman Letter.
Attorney Lynch informed BOT in executive session that Schuman Letter was illegal and needed to be recanted. Abboud and BOT ignored this recommendation. Regarding the public, Trustee Gohl at the direction Abboud prepared the current rules on public comment where BOT just stared at residents when they asked questions about possible “pay to play” and “quid pro quo” as if they were from Mars. Trustee Ramesh had this routine down to an art blankley just steering as if she was a “mummy”.
The ZBA under the stewardship of Chairman Judith Freeman crafted commercial horseboarding legislation under the guise of “special use” as the only way to proceed. BOT under Abboud never put ZBA special use recommendation on BOT agenda because Abboud solved Oakwood Farm through the Schuman Letter. At least he throught, that is, until the Second Appellate Court decision in the Drury lawsuit where the Court viewed the Schuman Letter as a village self-imposed obstacle to its own zoning rules.
After unsuccessful appeal by LeCompte to IL Supreme Court, the Drury case has been remanded back to the trial court to proceed on the merits, which likely will include evidence involving 3 campaign donations and Schuman Letter. Abboud no longer was VBH president and so the race was on to legislate commercial boarding once again. Not sure this rush at record speed was to save Oakwood Farm or those equestrian fringe and VBH [former] government officials involved in the campaign donation and/or Schuman Letter, or both. Steve Knoop’s tirade against Pres. McLaughlin shed further light for me on this issue further buttressed by the fact that Knoo and Harrington shared the same [Abboud] greviences
When Harrington stated at a BOT meeting that he would welcome anybody who had information on why BOT did not take up “special use” recommendation by ZBA in 2011 to contact him. I did contact Harrington through our government GMAIL account and requested to meet with Harrington to explain the “timeline” and why I have been so vocal about this issue. This was many months ago, and I never heard from Harrington. Being so important doing the people’s work and all. . . . I am confident when his schedule lessens Harrington will contact me.
Had Harrington met with me, I would not only have told him about the meeting between LeCompte, Abboud and a few others on President’s day 2011 when Village office was closed, the meeting that took place the day before President’s Day at Oakwood Farm, testimony before IL Election Board and the.email from Dan Lundmark advising LeCompt what “Bobby” would like to see in LeCompte’s affidavit to make Oakwood Farm home occupation compliant. I would have shown Harrington what I call the “intended Schuman Letter”; that is a letter written by LeCompte to Abboud shortly after [before Schuman Letter] LeComptes 3 campaign donations to Messer, Meroni and Selman for Abboud to put on VBH letterhead and sign explaining reasons why boarding activities at Oakwood Farm were legal under VBH code.
Joe Messer says McLaughlin took a campaign donation from Drury and that this donation should be investigated. Whether true or not I do not know. This ploy has been used by Messer to alienate me as well because of the political donation I received from LeCompte and Drury. This is a red herring[ton] because it is not the campaign donation which makes matters suspect; but whether VBH zoning laws were compromised in return for campaign donation. Because neither McLaughlin nor I were “elected” or “appointed officials” of VBH at the time of our campaign donations, neither one of us was in a position of authority to put the “fix in” as is suggested the case may be with the suspicious timing of the inexplicable Schuman Letter.
I am sensing a pattern with Harrington, first he does not want to review history of 10 year road/bridges repair/maintenance program headed by Meroni which concluded on 12-31-14 where Millions of VBH taxpayer dollars were spent with abysmal results. Now, Harrington has openly discounted any “foul play” into commercial horse boarding in VBH although admittedly having no knowledge of the history of boarding legislation in VBH.
Harrington has a fiduciary duty to VBH taxpayers and what is becoming a pattern of his of slamming the door on history when it comes to possible “nonfeasance”, “misfeasance” or “malfeasance” by his political teammates on BOT is a breach of that duty. Harrington, it is time to put your big boy pants on before the next BOT meeting and begin by taking small steps asking one simple question of 5-Acres/SOS BOT members, Gohl , Messer, Meroni and Selman, and that is:
Why did VBH BOT authorize expenditure of in excess of $180,000 of VBH taxpayer money to Burke-Warren over the course of 3 years of litigation to close commercial boarding operations at Oakwood Farm when all it took was the 45 cent [postage] Schuman Letter prepared in less than 15 minutes to keep these boarding operations going at Oakwood Farm?
Harrington, don’t we as the taxpayers have a right to know. Simple question Abboud and BOT have refused to answer now for more than 3 years prompting former ZBA Chairman Jon Knight and me to start a blog called “Preserve Barrington Hills”.
Indulge my fantasy Joe, answer the question.
Re: Video Sections of 1/26/2015 BOT Meeting – sections to note:
Video Part 1 – (Public Comment):
1:45 to 4:25 – Steve Knoop (2 min. 40 sec.)
6:15 to 11:10 – Jack Reich (Interrupted by Joe Messer) (4 min. 55 sec.)
27:15 to 30:45 – David Stieper (3 min. 30 sec.)
Video Part 1 – (Revise Special Counsel Section of Code)
1:46:05 to 1:57:13 – Joe Messer (11 min. 8 sec.)
Video Part 2 – (Continuation of “Revise Special Counsel Section of Code)
0:00 to 12:15 – Joe Messer (12 min. 15 sec.)
Video Part 2 – (Veto of Anderson-LeCompte Commercial Horse Boarding Amendment)
40:35 to 45:25 – Martin McLaughlin (4 min. 50 sec.)
Video Part 2 – (Appointment of Special Counsel to Investigate Allegations of Impropriety re Anderson-LeCompte Commercial Horse Boarding Amendment)
48:50 to 1:04:35 – Martin McLaughlin (Interrupted by Michael Harrington) (15 min. 45 sec.)