HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/21/1995 CS minutes
MAYOR
CFOAI_O i, FARLEY
TRUSTEES
GEORGE A CLOWES
TIMOTHY J CORCORAN
RICHARD N HENDRICKS
PAUL WM HOEFERT
MICHAELE W SKOWRON
IRVANA K WILKS
VILLAGE MANAGER
MICHAEL E JANONIS
VILLAGE CLERK
CAROL A FIELDS
Village of Mount Prospect
J'lDl1I1 oornn..~@ ~
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100 South Emerson Street
Mount Prospect, IllinoIs 60056
MINUTES
CLOSED SESSION
FEBRUARY 21, 1995
Phone: 708 / 392-6000
Fay.. 708 / 392-6022
TOO: 708 / 392-6064
The Closed Session was called to order at 9:17 p.m., in the conference room of the
Senior Citizens Center, 50 South Emerson Street, for the purpose of discussing Litigation,
Property Acquisition and Personnel. Present at the Closed Session were: Trustees
George Clowes, Timothy Corcoran, Richard Hendricks, Paul Hoefert, Michaela Skowron
and Irvana Wilks. Absent from the Closed Session was Mayor Gerald Farley. Also
present were: Village Manager Michael Janonis and Assistant to the Village Manager
David Strahl.
Litigation
Village Manager Michael Janonis indicated that he wanted to inform the Village Board
that the Settlement Agreement for the Hemphill Case had been drafted and was in a form
acceptable for Mr. Don Moran, Village Counsel, and the Village Manager. The Board had
previously held a public vote to settle the case for $35,000 in exchange for release. Mr.
Janonis indicated that the release covered not only the pending litigation but all claims
that could be raised under the existing Development Agreement. The only area of
litigation that was specifically excluded was a scenario where a third party; Le., a current
townhouse owner brought suit against Hemphill for latent environmental problems.
Hemphill insisted on maintaining the right to enjoin the Village in such a suit. This is
customary under current environmental law in that all successors in title have some
liability.
Mr. Janonis indicated he felt the release was very favorable to the Village because it
included not only litigation but issues under the Development Agreement. The one area
of potential exposure for latent environmental defects presented a remote likelihood of
future litigation and did not put the Village into any worse position than it would be
normally. After brief discussion, the consensus of the Village Board was acceptable and
that the Village Manager should proceed with finalizing settlement documents.
Trustee Hendricks stated his objection to any settlement of the lawsuit. He indicated he
had voted against settlement when it was considered publicly.
Personnel
The Village Manager reviewed the initial proposal presented by the Metropolitan Alliance
of Police, the current Police Patrol Officer Union. Mr. Janonis indicated that the Village
was coming off a three-year contract with an expiration date of April 30, 1995. Mr.
Janonis indicated that the proposal contained the usual items relating to wages, benefits
and conditions of employment. There was brief discussion regarding specifics of the
proposals and their budgetary and operational impact.
Mr. Janonis indicated that the relationship between the Village and Union had historically
been good. Mr. Janonis anticipated lively negotiations but was confident that a
reasonable settlement would be reached.
The Village Board indicated that a strategy of status quo on management rights' issues
and a wage increase in line with the increase scheduled for non-union employees would
be appropriate. The Board also expressed a strong position that non-wage fringe benefits
not be expanded.
Mr. Janonis indicated he would keep Board members apprised of the progress of
negotiations.
At this time, Trustee Hendricks indicated that he wished to discuss under the heading of
Personnel, the performance of the Village Manager. Mayor Pro-tem Corcoran asked
Trustee Clowes to take Minutes of the balance of the Closed Session.
At 9:38 p.m, Trustee Hendricks, who had requested the Closed Session on Personnel
began by asking Assistant to the Village Manager Dave Strahl to leave, which he did.
Trustee Hendricks then began to ask the Village Manager a series of questions. He
asked if it was true that he came to the office of Ms. Roberta Clinger on February 17,
1995, at approximately 9:00 a.m., to which the Village Manager responded affirmatively.
Trustee Hendricks then asked if it was true that at that time he put a memo on
Ms. Clinger's desk, to which the Village Manager responded in the negative. Trustee
Hendricks then told the Village Manager that he was lying. In response, the Village
Manager stated that it seemed anytime he agreed with Trustee Hendricks then Trustee
Hendricks would take it as the truth, while if he disagreed then Trustee Hendricks would
say that he was lying. The Village Manager and the other Trustees objected to the style
of the interrogation that Trustee Hendricks was conducting and asked him to simply state
his case, which he did. Trustee Hendricks recounted that he had put a memo on Ms.
Clinger's desk and had asked her to give it to the Village Manager. The Village Manager
was present at the time but was reading and Trustee Hendricks said that he did not want
to disturb him. Trustee Hendricks related that when he put the memo on the desk, the
Village Manager grabbed it and said, "Give me that, you goofball." Trustee Hendricks
stated that he regarded it as "the last straw" to call a sitting trustee a "goofball" and that
he objected to it.
In response, the Village Manager stated that Trustee Hendricks had not put the memo
on the desk but had simply held it out for Ms. Clinger to take. Instead, he took it from
Trustee Hendricks and admitted making the comment to which Trustee Hendricks
objected.
Trustee Hoefert stated that he did not condone the Village Manager's remarks but pointed
out that Trustee Hendricks had a way of pushing people to the edge. For example, he
said at the meeting earlier that night, Trustee Hendricks had referred to the Village
Manager in various insulting ways such as "ensign" and "young man," and had also told
the Village Manager that "we're the hand that feeds you." Trustee Hoefert stated that
people can only take so much.
Trustee Skowron asked Trustee Hendricks what he was asking for. Trustee Hendricks
responded that he was not asking for anything.
At this point, Mayor Pro-tem Corcoran adjourned from Closed Session.
The Closed Session ended at 9:50 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
q~~ A -!i0~ t1
GEORGE A CLO'M::S
Trustee
Village of Mount Prospect
Mount Prospect, Illinois
(70S) 392-6000
Minutes of Executive Session on the Subject of Personnel, February 21, 1995
Present:
Village Manager Michael Janonis, Mayor Pro-tern Timothy Corcoran, Trustees
Irvana Wilks, Michaele Skowron, Paul Hoefert, Richard Hendricks, and George
Clowes.
Trustee Hendricks, who had requested the executive session on Personnel began by asking
Assistant Village Manager David Strahl to leave, which he did.
Trustee Hendricks then began to ask the Village Manager a series of question. He asked if it was
true that he came to the office of Ms. Roberta Clinger on February 17, 1995, at approximately
9:00 AM, to which the Village Manager responded affirmatively. Trustee Hendricks then asked if
it was true that at that time he put a memo on Ms. Clinger's desk, to which the Village Manager
responded in the negative. Trustee Hendricks then told the Village Manger that he was lying. In
response, the Village Manager stated that it seemed anytime he agreed with Trustee Hendricks
then Trustee Hendricks would take it as the truth, while if he disagreed then Trustee Hendricks
would say that he was lying. The Village Manager and the other Trustees objected to the style of
the interrogation that Trustee Hendricks was conducting and asked him to simply state his case,
which he did. Trustee Hendricks recounted that he had put a memo on Ms. Clinger's desk and
had asked her to give it to the Village Manager. The Village Manager was present at the time but
was reading and Trustee Hendricks said that he did not want to disturb him. Trustee Hendricks
related that when he put the memo on the desk, the Village Manager grabbed it and sad "Give me
that, you goofball." Trustee Hendricks stated that he regarded it as "the last straw" to call a sitting
trustee a "goofball" and that he objected to it.
In response, the Village Manager stated that Trustee Hendricks had not put the memo on the desk
but had simply held it out for Ms. Clinger to take. Instead he took it from Trustee Hendricks and
admitted making the comment to which Trustee Hendricks objected.
Trustee Hoefert stated that he did not condone the Village Manager's remarks but pointed out that
Trustee Hendricks had a way of pushing people to the edge. For example, he said, at the meeting
earlier that night Trustee Hendricks had referred to the Village Manager in various insulting ways
such as "ensign" and "young man," and had also told the Village Manager that "we're the hand that
feeds you." Trustee Hoefert stated that people can only take so much.
Trustee Skowron asked Trustee Hendricks what he was asking for. Trustee Hendricks responded
that he was not asking for anything.
At this point, Mayor Pro-tern Corcoran adjourned from executive session.
Minutes respectfully submitted by: ~ J!:!.1JJ7;Jf..J
George . Clowes
Date: 2- 2t - q S-