The McHenry County Board’s Committee on Committees met today and made the following recommendations for committee assignments and chairmanships and vice chairmanships. Click to enlarge either image.
Here are the committee assignments that the McHenry County Board will vote upon.
Recommendations for other Board assignments follow:
Here are the recommendations for various liaison and special committees filled by McHenry County Board members.
Can you spot any changes from the first meeting’s lineup, which is below, except for the recommended committee chairmen, which you can find here.
These were the starting and, for the most part, ending points for which County Board members will serve on which committee. There were some relatively minor adjustments, which I’ll try to get up later in this article. Click to enlarge.
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I got some more details on the meeting that I’d like to share with you:
Present at the Committee meeting were Tina Hill, Donna Kurtz, Mary McCann, Anna May Miller, Paula Yensen, Sue Draffkorn, Mary McClellan.
Audience members were Nick Provenzano, Ken Koehler, Charles Eldridge, Ersel Schuster,Diane Evertsen, Jim Heisler, Jana Blake (State’s Attorney’s Office) & 1 other male department head whose name escapes me at this time.
During discussion by committee members, assignment changes were made naming Sandy Salgado as chairman of Human
Resources and Mary McClellan was moved to Vice Chair; Sue Draffkorn volunteered to serve strictly as a member.
Management Services Vice Chair position was discussed, first considering Schuster as Vice Chair but settling on Hammerand.
Planning and Development Committee Chairmanship of Joe Gottemoller was discussed, including any potential for problems with conflict of interest debates. Miller assured the committee there would be no legitimate public concerns with Gottemoller serving as chair of P&D and his many years as an attorney dealing with zoning issues.
Miller took the discussion further, with commentary about Schuster, saying that because of the blog’s having posted a story about the last Committee of the Whole meeting, she had received calls about Schuster’s not having “a balanced approach,” that she was too environmentally-oriented.
Ersel Schuster
At that point, Schuster told those in the room, “I have not pushed to be on this chair position. I have not promised any vote for any chairmanship of any sort and I was promised this chairmanship if I voted for Tina, so I feel very irritated by some of this.
“Ms. Miller, you make comment about the fact that maybe I am a little bit too much in the environmental crowd. That is totally unreal because that might be the perception.
“Let me finish.
“My participation on every committee has been to be the devil’s advocate and to work to be able to bring those issues out. And, yes, sometimes it sounds I’m on the other side. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I am but I believe everybody needs to address these things.
Schuster went on the point out that Board members who are attorneys “do not represent us legally. The State’s Attorney is our legal representation.
“And we get into trouble sometimes when we defer to lawyers sitting on committees. And, it’s not that their expertise isn’t needed. It’s wonderful, but the State’s Attorney’s Office is our legal representative.
Referring to Gottemoller, “Ask yourself this question. A man who has a business that was, is primarily zoning…is willing to give up that portion of his business to accept a $20,000 a year job.
“Put that little thought in your mind. That’s what the public is going to be looking at.
“So, I think that’s what Jim and Donna are trying to get across.
“I think his expertise is phenomenal.
“Do I really want to take on the UDO?
“Probably not. It’s going to be a load.
“I would do it if I were there. I will do it as Vice Chair. I will do it as a member of any committee, as I have always done.
“But I think there are some issues that we are going to be confronted with on P&D, whether it’s considered on the environmental side, which I have never personally considered myself an environmentalist in that respect that we normally think of it, or [whether it’s] a lawyer that may be steering us a little bit in decision-making that maybe it isn’t the direction as legislators we should be asking our State’s Attorney to respond to.”
Schuster then left the meeting.
County Board member Provenzano sprang to Gottemoller’s defense. “He has always been my sounding board (about zoning matters).”
He praised his expertise and said, “I’m a little concerned about the ‘innuendo.'”
“I can’t think of anyone in the County I’d rather have there defending and identifying those issues than Joe Gottemoller.”
Back to the less detailed notes.
Liaison member to Economic Development: Donna Kurtz offered to relinquish the leadership position to Mike Skala.
Ken Koehler spoke to the Committee about his desire to be on the Law and Justice Committee because of his expertise.
The Committee went into closed session to discuss sensitive material.
Upon return to open session, Mr. Koehler continued to promote his desire to be on that committee and members of the Committee on Committees in turn discussed and determined they’d leave that assignment as it is.
All of this “Bru-ha-ha” because of the incompetent “leadership” recently elected by the “ladies” of the Board.
Over the next two years the citizens of McHenry County will be embarrassed by this body of nincompoops.
The perception of cronyism,favoritism and conflicts of interest shall prevail because of the agenda this board is committed to.
Ken Koehler on the Law and Justice Committee?
After propping up the Sheriff and being his enabler and costing the taxpayers how much in settlements and attorney fees?
I thought this was the Christmas season and not April Fools’.
Any connection in any way for Ken to any portion of county law enforcement and administration is a joke.
Tina Hill is just the change that was needed at the top.
Not nearly as bright or shrewd as Koehler and her inability to lead and tin ear for politics will allow years of shenanigans to come to light.
Not that it is her intent.
And then a real chairman can take over in 2014.
Re: “And then a real chairman can take over in 2014.” Not unless someone gets re-elected or someone new gets elected. Mr. Koehler did present an excellent image for the County. IMHO the problem was he fell under the spell of “high self esteem” and still believes in the “old guard”. The “old guard” which lives by the credo “it is legal” and ignores “it is in the best interest of the citizens”. The attempts of his son to get federal tax dollars, his attempt with a failed real estate sale and most recently the employment of his son by a contractor employed by the County are hardly examples of being “in the best interest of the citizens”.
In a fair world, Donna Kurtz would be chairman.