HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/07/1997 CS minutes
MAYOR
Gerald L. Farley
Phone: (847) 392-6000
Fax: (847) 392-6022
TOO: (847) 392-6064
TRUSTEES
George A. Clowes
Timothy J. Corcoran
Paul Wm. Hoefert
Richard M. Lohrstorfer
Daniel A. Nocchi
Irvana K. Wilks
VILLAGE MANAGER
Michael E. Janonis
Village of Mount Prospect
VILLAGE CLERK
Carol A. Fields
100 South Emerson Street Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056
MINUTES
CLOSED SESSION
OCTOBER 7, 1997
The Closed Session was called to order at 9:30 p.m., in the conference room of the Senior
Citizens' Center, 50 South Emerson Street, for the purpose of discussing the release of
Closed Session Minutes and Litigation. Present at the Closed Session were: Mayor
Gerald L. Farley; Trustees George Clowes, Timothy Corcoran, Paul Hoefert, Richard
Lohrstorfer, Daniel Nocchi and Irvana Wilks. Also present were: Village Manager Michael
Janonis and Assistant Village Manager David Strahl.
Board members reviewed the draft Minutes of the September 23, 1997 Closed Session.
There was concurrence with the accuracy and form of the draft. These Minutes would be
formally approved in open session.
Release of Closed Session Minutes
Board members reviewed a memorandum from Village Manager Michael Janonis
summarizing all currently held Closed Session Minutes and concurred with his
recommendation to release the following sets of Minutes as there was no longer reason
to keep same confidential:
October 20, 1992
September 13, 1994
March 18, 1997
Litigation
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Village Manager Michael Janonis updated Board members regarding the status of the
Javier Martinez Employment Discrimination Case against the Village and Police
Department. Mr. Janonis indicated that as part of the discovery process, approximately
15 Patrol Officers and Command Staff had been deposed by the plaintiff's attorney. Initial
assessment from Village Attorney Elizabeth Knight was that the depositions revealed
nothing to give merit to Mr. Martinez's claim of discrimination.
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Mr. Janonis did note that several of the Patrol Officers had used the opportunity to make
some disparaging remarks about the Police Department, in particular, characterizing
Departmental performance standards as quotas. There were also some suggestions,
without specifics, that there was a high incidence of Hispanic arrests perhaps driven by
these quotas. There were also some statements that derogatory comments toward
Hispanics and other minority groups may have been spoken in the Department. However,
when pressed for specifics, none of the Officers could provide anything substantial.
Mr. Janonis indicated that Ms. Knight felt these comments, while somewhat troubling, were
irrelevant to the underlying employment discrimination case.
Mr. Janonis indicated that in discussions with Chief Pavlock and Ms. Knight, there was
considerable value in bringing an independent agency in to do an investigation of some of
the suspect comments. The Village Board concurred unanimously with this suggestion and
asked the Village Manager to coordinate this effort with the Police Chief and attorney.
.~ Mr. Janonis also indicated that Mr. Martinez's lawyer had recently proffered another
settlement scenario which called for payment of $80,000 without reinstatement to the
Police Department. This settlement offer was rejected by the Village Manager and the
Village Board concurred with that position. Board members asked that the Village
Manager keep them informed of any further developments in this case.
There being no other business conducted in Closed Session, on a Motion by Trustee
Hoefert and Seconded by Trustee Corcoran, the Closed Session was adjourned on a
unanimous vote at 9:51 p.m.
In open session Board members accepted the Closed Session Minutes of September 23,
1997 on a unanimous vote following a Motion by Trustee Lohrstorfer and a Second by
Trustee Wilks.
There being no other business conducted in Open Session, the Village Board meeting was
adjourned at 9:53 p.m. by Mayor Farley.
Respectfully submitted,
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