Report on Dec. 13th Lakewood Village Board Meeting

It would be helpful if other ruling board members were willing to provide information from their points of view for every tax district that Lakewood Village Trustee Paul Serwatk outlines below:

Reporting on Recent Village Board Meeting

Reporting on Tuesday’s village board meeting, I wanted to bring 2 issues to your attention.

This was our last meeting before Christmas and, according to some, my role on the first issue might be construed as that of “The Grinch.”

First Issue

This issue pertained to an agreement to award, a $10,000 bonus to Interim Manager, Shannon Andrews for 8-months in her new role.

As you are probably aware, Village Manager, Catherine Peterson resigned back in September and Deputy Manager, Shannon Andrews has taken on the role of “Interim Manager” since then.

This $10,000 bonus will serve to compensate Shannon Andrews for her new role through April of 2017 – an 8-month period. This equates to a $15,000 pay increase per annum.

I am not necessarily in disagreement that Shannon’s added responsibilities, merit some compensation. And, I will say that Shannon has, in fact, actually been quite helpful in some of the transparency issues I’ve been working on for some time, now.

But, considering some of the current compensation packages being offered, along with current ongoing discussion of hiring others to perform various roles, I am not convinced that the equivalent of a $15,000 annual increase for an “interim manager” is substantiated at this point.

With all trustees being present, I was the only vote against this bonus/agreement.

Second Issue

The second issue that I wanted to mention pertains to the Sportsplex.

The same Sportsplex that former village trustee Gary Sexson, along with trustee Ken Santowski and others, disseminated information about, stating it was “a Dead Issue  

The same Sportsplex that village President Smith later publicly stated was NOT a dead issue… also publicly stating that she advised them NOT to state that it was dead

Well, the developers/principles of this Sportsplex met with our Interim Manager as recent as LAST WEEK.

We have not been given any real information on this, except that they are still working on some financing for the Sportsplex and that they are still very much hoping to move forward with it at some point.

This is as much as was OFFICIALLY told to our board of trustees.

And, while I am not suggesting that there is any more to tell…

I will say that if my last 20-months as a trustee has taught me anything, it has taught me that when there are controversial plans on the table, they will likely be kept from ME until they no longer can be… (e.g., The Turnberry Condominium Development) 

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There were several rudimentary “housekeeping issues” at this meeting, as well, and we did approve a resurfacing project for Lake Avenue along with; Pheasant Drive, Wiltshire Ln, Warwick Ln, Cumberland Ln, Oxford Ln and Essex Ln. for next year.

This meeting’s board packet can be found at the link below, and as always, your thoughts, questions and concerns are always welcome and always valued.
12-13-2016 Board Packet.


Comments

Report on Dec. 13th Lakewood Village Board Meeting — 7 Comments

  1. Trustee Serwatka exemplifies how an elected official should more honestly represent us.

    Thank you for your example.

    Keep up the good work.

  2. Leave private industry to local entrepreneurs.

    Local government has no place in a Sportsplex.

  3. Must be the Christmas season. I think we both hate to see hard earned taxes thrown away.

  4. Exactly CP!!! Sportsplexes are being closed all over the midwest! Just another way for govt. officials to give their Contractor Friends or Business Friends perks on the taxpayers!

    NO MORE TIFS!!!

  5. From an article by Brett Rowland in nwherald article of 3-11-11 about this proposed $46 million project funded largely by federal stimulus and foreign investor money used to purchase citizenship:

    “The sports complex project gained notoriety in August 2010 when it was listed in a report of 100 stimulus-funded projects considered boondoggles by two Republican U.S. senators. Labeled “If Government Builds It, They Will Come … We Hope,” the project was number 67 behind such stimulus-funded projects as new windows for a closed visitor center and a study of how cocaine affects monkeys”

  6. Mike Turner of Woodstock City council has his fingerprints all over this. He so desperately wants a job at that SportsPlex. ….Follow the artificial turf!

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