Algonquin Township May Have Violated the Open Meetings Act

Illinois Leaks’John Kraft filed a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office contending that the agenda of the last regular meeting of Algonquin Township was inadequate.

Algonquin Township Hall

Kraft contended that “Reconfiguration of Office Space” did not adequately inform the public that the Board might try to evict Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Andrew Gasser from the Township Hall.

Trustees Melissa Victor, David Chapmen and Dan Shea voted to kick the Highway Department’s administrative offices out of the Township Hall.

Supervisor Chuck Lutzow and Trustee Rachael Lawrence voted against the motion.

You can read the reply from the AG’s Public Access Counselor below:

A similar Grafton Township agenda issue led to the election of Linda Moore as Township Supervisor and an protracted court case about whether a new Township Hall should be constructed.

At the Annual Town meeting after Linda Moore’s election as Supervisor, Trustee Betty Zirk made her pitch for approval of a new Grafton Township Hall. The vote was a tie and ties fail.

It also led to the most attended Annual Town Meeting I have ever seen.

Some of the majority who voted, “No,” hold up their hands with orange arm bands visible.

The case ended with a victory for Moore’s side of the issue in the Illinois Appellate Court.  Jim Kelly represented Grafton Township and Jim Bishop represented the citizens who did not want a new Grafton Township Hall.

Moore kept her campaign promise to kill the proposal for a new Township Hall.

Page 7 of the Illinois Township Attorneys Association Eighth Annual Combined Spring Educational Seminar presented at the Double Tree Hotel, Bloomington Illinois May 14, 2010, gave the following explanation of the case:

“The Ziller Court further found that the board’s adoption of the debt ordinance at a 2008 meeting, which was premised on the 2007 vote at the annual town meeting, was unlawful given that the agenda for that meeting provided no information to the township electors with regard to the debt ordinance.

“The agenda item only stated “071708-01 Township Debt Service Ordinance.”

The court found that this was an insufficient notice pursuant to the Open Meetings Act.


Comments

Algonquin Township May Have Violated the Open Meetings Act — 5 Comments

  1. Cal, please correct the typo in “Supervisor Chuck Lutzow and Trustee Melissa Lawrence voted against the motion”.

    It should read “Supervisor Chuck Lutzow and Trustee Rachael Lawrence voted against the motion.”

  2. This game playing done by the completely irresponsible fools (that are trying to ruin this township) will be the death of us all.

    The filth that thought they had a lock on their political positions are angry.

    Draining the swamp is a dirty business.

    The people need to back the “good guys” for once and finally, bring this cabal to their knees!

  3. With loser Lutzow in charge (a Miller plant) anything can happen!

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