NEPHEW CREECH WALKOUT STUNS BOARD

The Regular Board Meeting of the Glen Ellyn Park District Board of Commissioners was called to order at 7:00PM to a rather full audience. Board President Sandra Minogue requested the Agenda Item, Budget Review - Recreation Fund be taken from the Agenda and placed on that of the November 17 Meeting. At that, Commissioner Julia Nephew insisted on a Special Meeting for Budget Review on Tuesday, November 2. Commissioner Nephew asked if another Commissioner wanted the meeting to which Commissioner Creech, in a well rehearsed response agreed.

Park District Executive Director Cory Atwell remarked there needs to be a quorum in accordance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act. Commissioner Nephew argued but Park District Legal Counsel Nicole Karas interjected and informed Creech & Nephew of the Act.

Regarding the Consent Agenda and Pay Request #11 for the Ackerman Sports Complex totaling $720,868.93, Commissioner Creech demanded a cost breakdown for all money spent to date from the point of the 2006 Referendum from Superintendent of Parks Dave Scarmardo. Commissioner Creech never explained why she did not request this information from Scarmardo before the meeting so that the information would be available for her.

Commissioner Bill Dallman reminded Creech that delaying the Pay Request would delay payment to contractors who have already completed work they bid on; could possibly create a hardship for these vendors, some of whom reside in Glen Ellyn, and it could hamper the Glen Ellyn Park District's ability to receive bids from competent contractors in the future if receiving payment becomes an issue. Commissioner Creech relented and the Consent Agenda passed 7-0.

After careful consideration the Anima Singers rental request is still unfinished business as Superintendent of Recreation Kathleen Esposito and Anima Executive Director Priscilla Smith will be meeting to sort out a long term agreement beneficial to both parties.

The ROCLAB Resolution (White Sox Academy) proposal was put on hold after Commissioner Creech had a problem with the wording in Section 7, Paragraph G: “For each hour that the Park District uses the baseball area it shall pay ROCLAB a rental fee equivalent to one hour of time on ½ of a soccer field on the Turf Area”. In reality it is just an exchange of space between both parties. The wording will be changed to reflect trading the batting cages for use of the soccer field. No funds will be exchanged.

After a lengthy discussion the White Sox Academy proposal was put on hold. With a planned Holiday opening of the Ackerman Sports Complex many are beginning to question why this has not been approved yet. With an expected $55,000 to $60,000 a year in added revenue to ASC this is a proposal anticipated by many in the community.

As Commissioner Dallman read the proposed Resolution between District 87 and the Glen Ellyn Park District, Mr. Thomas Waters demanded a Point of Order and began to speak again in opposition to Artificial Turf. Mr. Waters previously spoke at the September 21 Board Meeting. On August 26, Mr. Waters read a letter from his friend John Huston, opposing Turf.

In any event, Mr. Waters stated his continued opposition to turf and mentioned that Executive Director Cory Atwell did not inform him of the Park District’s proposal with District 87. This in spite of the Turf Proposal being mentioned in Park District Agendas, Board Minutes, Board Packets, information contained in 2 blogs dedicated to the Glen Ellyn Park District as well as coverage in GlenEllynLife.com.

Mrs. Waters also spoke in opposition to Turf including dire warnings of severe illnesses and deaths of children who have played and practiced on turf, impending pollution from run-off in Lake Ellyn and Perry’s Pond, and future lawsuits. Mrs. Waters did not provide any specific studies or have any data to back up her claims.

According to Thomas Waters, Director Atwell was supposed to inform him personally of any changes to the Park District policy regarding turf. However, in reviewing the Glen Ellyn Park Bench notes from the July 21 Board Meeting:

”During Public Participation, members of the community were present to voice their concern over the Park District’s potential financial support for artificial turf at Memorial Field. John Huston asked Executive Director Cory Atwell if opponents of turf would have an opportunity to meet with staff since the Glenbard West Booster Club and Gain Ground had met with staff. Director Atwell informed Mr. Huston that staff would meet with Mr. Huston and other concerned citizens. Commissioner Julia Nephew interjected that Mr. Huston was to email her if his calls to the Park District to schedule a meeting were not returned.”

Although it was Mr. Huston and not Mr. Waters who requested to be notified (and he was) that did not hamper Commissioner Nephew from badgering Director Cory Atwell over this imagined oversight. In an awkward exchange, it became apparent that Commissioner Nephew was not even sure what she was arguing about, as she mistakenly referred to Thomas Waters as Mr. John Huston. The Resolution for an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Park District and District 87 passed 7-0.

Mike Formento, District 4 Forest Preserve District Commissioner and former Glen Ellyn Village President was present for the Resolution for Intergovernmental Agreement between the Forest Preserve and the Park District. In 2001 both parties entered into an agreement regarding 9 acres of Preserve Property at Maryknoll. This agreement finalizes the Park District purchase of that property. The Resolution passed 7-0.

By the way, Eric Bergman, husband of Commissioner Nephew filed petitions with the DuPage Election Commission on October 26. Bergman is seeking the Democrat Party nomination for District 4 Commissioner of the Forest Preserve District. He may be challenging incumbent Mike Formento in the November 2010 General Election.

The Board Meeting was packed with Platform Tennis players from ages 6 to 64 as they presented a proposal to formulate a study regarding the feasibility of a Warming Hut at the platform tennis courts at Maryknoll Park. Ryan Snyder introduced everyone, including Platform Tennis Midwest President Bill Bryan. Glen Ellyn residents and Nationally Ranked Champions Nancy O’Sullivan and Marty Engels also discussed Platform Tennis and the need for a warming hut. They will be meeting with Staff and making another presentation to the Board in the near future.

Director Atwell announced that this was to be Board Secretary Jeanine Sesto’s last meeting. Jeanine has served the Park District for 25 years and she is retiring. Everyone thanked Jeanine for all of her hard work, and they wished her all the best.

Superintendent of Finance Laurie Woods gave a presentation about the Tax Levy, which has to be on display at the Spring Avenue Recreation Center and the Main Street Recreation Center for 30 days.

The Meeting adjourned at 9:44 PM for Executive Session and re-adjourned at 10:23 PM for Open Session to read Resolution 09-08, the ERI Early Retirement Resolution. At that time Commissioner Ed Hess remarked “I manage a sales group of 20 salesmen, along with other sales managers in a sales group. I would never call out another manager and call him basically a liar in front of my sales group. I would handle it more discreetly, find out what the real situation is, being as there is a debate and there is perhaps other information that I don’t know about.

So, before I would put my neck on the line and be as ridiculous as to take a Senior Executive Director of our Park District that has been here for 16 years and embarrass him in front of the public, basically calling him a liar, I think is totally out of line and totally disrespectful to our staff and it seems to be the goal to do that and I just want to put it out there. I’m not going to debate it. I’m just making a statement; everybody can make their own decision on what they want to do.”

Board President Minogue replied, “I agree 100%. It’s not the first time, it’s happened before, there is no excuse.”

Commissioner Nephew interrupted “Is this a question of Board relations that should be in Executive Session?”

Minogue: “We are in Open Session.”

Nephew: “Why are you discussing this in Open Session?”

Minogue: “Why not? It happened in Open Session.”

Nephew: “It should happen in Executive Session”.

Minogue: “It happened in Open Session. We are discussing what happened in Open Session. Counselor, are we out of line?”

Park District Legal Counsel Nicole Karas: “No.”

Minogue: “Thank you. We are not out of line, you’re out of line”.

Nephew: “I don’t think I’m out of line”,

Minogue: “You are out of line. You’ve embarrassed our whole Board tonight. You’ve embarrassed everybody sitting up here. To sit there and challenge the Director and actually, basically call him a liar in front of all of those residents. How could you possibly believe that you have the right to do that?”

Nephew: “So, you’re telling a resident that he was a liar?”

Minogue: “No, we did not say that. We said that what you did, to embarrass the Executive Director of the Park District. You are sitting here as a Commissioner. People that come here say a lot of things”.

Commissioner Creech stands up, gather her things loudly:

Minogue (looking at Creech): “Excuse me?”

Nephew: “I think I’m leaving because this is completely inappropriate”.

Minogue: “You’re inappropriate; you’re both inappropriate because you are both basically disrespectful”.

Nephew: “There have been lies by the Executive Director in the past. We have been lied to by the Executive Director in the past.” Nephew did not provide any data to back up her accusations, and she and Commissioner Creech exited the meeting at 10:34 PM.

Leaving a stunned majority, President Minogue lamented about the fractured Board and asked Commissioner Kinzler, their former running mate to speak with Creech and Nephew. Concerning their actions Kinzler responded “Sometimes I cringe, but you have to realize, some people have a different filter than others.” He further remarked “Because I have talked to them about their delivery, and I’ve talked to them about things that you have to find the positives and that you can’t just continually punch and punch and punch. Sometimes you have to step back and try to come to a consensus, so I understand your frustration and I understand what you’ve seen.”

After further discussion the remaining Board adjourned at 10:54 PM.

An FOI (Freedom of Information Act) request was filed by the Glen Ellyn Park Bench with the Glen Ellyn Park District for the audio recording made by the Park District of this meeting. A transcript was made from the Turf portion and the statements before, during and after the Creech, Nephew walkout in order to verify the accuracy of statements made by Staff and Commissioners during those portions of the meeting.