Audio recordings from the September 26th Village Board of Trustees regular monthly meeting are available for review on the Village website. To access the menu of edited recordings by agenda topic, click here.
One resident made remarks during public comment regarding the condition of a property at the corner of Braeburn and Spring Creek Roads, which can be heard here.
The board then spent roughly twenty minutes reviewing the minutes from their prior meeting. Most of the discussion related to how detailed the minutes should be, since audio recordings are kept in perpetuity as backup for details of what transpired in any given meeting, but it seems some (or one board member) prefers their statements be as detailed as possible in the minutes as can be heard here.
Moving on to Finance and approval of the monthly bills, discussion revealed legal and managerial expenses related to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests were high again. Oakwood Farm, LLC and Barrington Hills Farm contributed to the increased expenditures again last month coming in well over $9,000.
Additionally, a former member of the board also added to the legal financial burden with his requests for Open Meetings Act (OMA) investigations filed with the Illinois Attorney General’s office. When the response to his first request did not meet with his satisfaction, he apparently filed an appeal, further adding to our legal expenses.
Citing this and other instances, attorney Patrick Bond was then asked by Trustee Konicek at what point the requestor might be required to pay for the expense rather than the taxpayer being saddled with the outlay. Konicek’s questions and Bond’s responses can be heard here.
Later in the meeting the board took up a recommendation for amended codes from the Heritage & Environs Committee (HEC) pertaining to how trash must be contained in their “Refuse Lid Ordinance (RLO).” Their recommendation would require all refuse to be placed in containers with hinged lids. Failure to comply will result in a fine of $50.
The intention of the HEC proposal was to alleviate trash being strewn along Village roads when plastic garbage bags either fail or animals tear into them before pickup. A copy of their proposal can be viewed here.
Trustee Gohl motioned to approve the proposed HEC ordinance. When asked how it would be enforced, Gohl stated, “Well, you have obviously the trash Nazi running up and down the road,” as can be heard here.
After some discussion, board members decided to survey residents prior to moving forward, and they tabled the proposal to a later meeting. The recording of the full discussion of the HEC proposal can be heard here.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for October 24th.
A LESSON IN LOSING
Former VBH Pres. Rbt, G. Abboud (“Bobby”) wasted $167,000 of tax payer money on Village lawyers litigating at both the trial and appellate court level by filing court papers requesting Oakwood Farm horse boarding operations be closed; only later through issuance of illegal 45 cent (postage) Schuman Letter contend these same Oakwood Farm business practices be deemed legal..(Should have issued the Schuman letter before expending these funds on lawyers to litigate; this simple obvious act would have saved VBH taxpayers $166,000.54)
Not content with the amount of taxpayer money wasted while acting as VBH President, Bobby now in his capacity as “resident Bobby” has found a new way to dissipate VBH taxpayer booty (via disclosure by Trustee Konicek at VBH Board meeting) and that is by filing an endless stream of FOIA requests and losing petitions with the AG against current VBH government claiming violations of the FOIA amd OMA. (As the record of success for these types of claims establishes, Bobby would have had greater success with AG had Bobby filed his petitions against himself and his “Save 5 Acre” BOT political cronies while Bobby was VBH president.)
At what point do members of the Abboud family and those in Bobby’s inner circle like perhaps recently Bobby political campaign donor, JR Davis intervene taking Bobby’s computer keyboard away? Why should VBH taxpayers continue to pay the freight for this “has been” politician’s endless stream of groundless legal attacks upon current VBH administration motivated by what appears to be spite and jealousy costing you and me, the VBH taxpayer, Thousands of Dollars? .
It must be very dishearteniing for members of the Abboud family to stand-by and watch how Bobby is incapable of moving on after losing by a landslide to Martin McLaughlin. A complete rejection of Bobby by the VBH electorate. It is troubling for me to see how the Abboud family name is being damaged by Bobby’s impulsive acts against his own village government.
It is truly sad! As a father of two sons myself I feel great empathy for the Abboud family and what they must be going through as well as all those VBH residents who once supported this fast rising star in local politics all these years who are now forced to sit on the sidelines and watch “resident” Bobby embarrass himself, his faimily while dissipating all that goodwill accumulated in the “Save 5 Acres” political name so carefully orchestrated by a few former VBH political insiders all these many years. Very sad indeed!
This self-proclaimed erudite of the Federalist papers and other founding documents of our nation never learned a simple political lesson; and that is, every politician has an expiration date. Yes, even McLaughlin . . . but what will separate McLaughlin from Bobby is when McLaughlin loses (and he will, 3 or 4 election cycles from now) Mclaughlin will have the foresight and decency
to ride off into the sunset never to be heard from again; a lesson obviously lost on Bobby. ..
A friend observed Mr. Stieper picking up a “Statement of Economic Interest” form in McHenry County the other day. Think he’s gonna run for office in the Village?
Dear fly;
We agree with you whole heartedly and hope you are right! We really need a stand-up guy like David Stieper.
This village is on the verge of getting back on track again and he would be a great help!
He is fearless and above all, honest and forthright which is rare in politics today.
Stand up guy? Huh? Unless of course you are downhill from St. Marks Church and the cover up of the septic failures onto my property. Honest, forthright? Give me a break. Observer you need to stop being his cheerleader and write about the truth – not just articles that favor your friends and yourself.
This is getting old!
Only to you David.