From Lakewood Village Trustee Amy Odom:

“Final comments from an out-going Village of Lakewood Trustee”

Re:  BLAMING FORMER EMPLOYEES

Speaking of bogus explanations for MORE THAN A DOZEN ERRORS in the Oct. financials, another excuse given (by CAO Smith and Trustee Berman’s wife Treasurer Berman) for inaccurate math was “entered in the OLD system by a FORMER EMPLOYEE”.

• Isn’t it extremely convenient to YET AGAIN throw a “former employee” (code for Sue Villie) under the bus and blame her for all the problems in our financials?
• CAO Smith CHOSE to begin implementation of a NEW financial system and to conduct the training on that NEW system (ironically) during the 2 weeks which SHE put Sue Villie on “unpaid leave for insubordination” (code for retaliation for Sue’s written complaints against the CAO Smith and President Stephan in May 2020).  That implementation and training couldn’t have been re-scheduled to include Sue?  Sue’s “leave” couldn’t be rescheduled to a later date so she could participate?  (They did reschedule a particular newly-promoted Police Sgt.’s 5-day unpaid-leave rip for inappropriate conduct/comments (with only 6-yrs. of ACTUAL, measurable, consecutive FULL-TIME experience) because there weren’t enough other Officers to cover his shifts?  The same courtesy couldn’t have been extended to our 23-yrs. of Village experience employee Sue Villie?)  Sounded like a set-up for failure then…and as we know now, it absolutely was!  
• Who WAS entering this data while Sue was “out”?  A temp.
• Sue was never even given a login to the NEW system.  So how could ANY of these errors be hers?
• Who WAS supposed to be checking and being the oversight on everything that was entered?  CAO Jeannine Smith and Treasurer Kim Berman (Trustee Ryan Berman’s wife).
• The financials weren’t even closed until the end of Feb. 2021.
• Sue Villie was fired  the end of Dec. 2020.
• How is it possible that Sue is to blame for Sept. financials errors (let alone Oct. financials errors) when she was already gone…and was never given a login??
• After being part of this Village’s annual audit process AND monthly financial preparation for 23 years WITHOUT PROBLEMS, CAO Smith removes Sue from the equation (WITH the “board majority’s” unanimous blessing)…and NOW with financials having errors galore, this is all Sue’s fault?  

(Kind of like being blamed for the Kennedy assassination when you hadn’t even been born??)

24 EMPLOYEES THAT ARE GONE:  THE LOSS OF OUR LEGACY

Remember back in May 2020 when Trustee Bryan Younge exposed to this board (thanks to Police Chief Todd Richardson) the bullying, sexual and mental and racial harassment, violating of Police procedures, lewd and vulgar sexual innuendos, abusive language, name-calling and a toxic work environment created by CAO Smith and President Stephan…and that some 14 people (at that time) had quit or been fired under Smith and Stephan? 

• Rather than this “board  majority” acting swiftly, appropriately, following our VILLAGE CODE and bringing in AN ACTUAL 3^rd “party investigation, they instead allowed  Trustee Ryan Berman (husband of Village Treasurer Kim Berman) to overstep his boundaries (and play faux “investigator”, prosecutor and judge), denying, dismissing and disposing of (with the unanimous approval of the “board majority) ALL of these written allegations made by Village employees.
• We could have stopped this from continuing!
• Instead, there are 10 additional people that this administration has driven away or disposed of SINCE May, 2020…making a total of 24 employees that are NOW gone!
• Regarding these 24 empolyees:
• Remember Police Officer Eddy Pluviose, U.S. Marine, 15-consecutive-yrs. as a FULL-TIME Police Officer?

§  Eddy Pluviose stood up and called out the lies told by CAO Smith and President Stephan of a supposed “consideration/interview for a promotion-to-an-open SGT.-position of our current Police Officers”.  Eddy revealed that contrary to what CAO Smith said, NOT all of the current Police Officers were invited to put in for the promotion (to Sgt.) or polled about the Officer that was ultimately promoted TO that Sgt. position.  (How do I know this?  I asked…the Officers…rather than accepting the lies of the CAO and President.)  And though submitting his formal interest for what was an open Sgt. position, Officer Pluviose was not even considered or interviewed for the Sgt. position.  Passed over by an officer with HALF his FULL-TIME, CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE and far less additional training and commendations.  So Eddy Pluviose quit.

• Remember Police Sergeant Paul Olzsak, U.S. Air Force, 31-consecutive-yrs. as a FULL-TIME Police Officer (24-yrs. of that as a Sgt.)?
• Paul refused to be intimidated or have his integrity compromised by Trustee Ryan Berman’s abuse of power and repeated demands to make Sgt. Olzsak retract/rewrite a police report about him that he didn’t like.  (How do I know this?  I FOIAd the official police report ABOUT Trustee Ryan Berman written by Sgt. Paul Olzsak…and the addendum that Trustee Ryan Berman demanded to include with the police report.)  OH, I also received a warning email from Trustee Ryan Berman telling me that “if I pursued action/investigation regarding this Police Sgt. (Olzsak) it would not go well for me”…??  So back to NOT compromising integrity or being intimidated, Paul Olzsak quit.
• Remember Chief of Police Todd Richardson, U.S. Army, 29-consecutive-yrs. as a FULL-TIME Police Officer (15-yrs. of that as a Sgt.)? 

§  Todd stood up to CAO Smith and President Stephan and came forward to report both VERBALLY AND IN WRITING the bullying, harassment and mistreatment of Village employees.  Richardson was degraded via email, dragged into an Executive Session meeting and interrogated by Trustee Ryan Berman.  Todd was unjustly set-up, a case built against him, “investigated” by “Village-controlled” ZRFM legal firm, was unfairly TERMINATED and PUBLICLY DRAGGED THROUGH THE MUD!  This campaign was led by Trustee Ryan Berman…for exposing CAO Smith and President Stephan.  And approved by Trustee Ryan Berman, Doug Ulrich, Brian Augustine and Pam Eddy. 

• Remember Business Analyst Sue Villie who served this Village faithfully for 23-yrs.?

§  Sue stood up to CAO Smith and President Stephan and came forward to report both VERBALLY AND IN WRITING the bullying, harassment and mistreatment of Village employees…confirming everything Chief Todd Richardson had said.  For doing so,  Sue was degraded and criticized via email, defamed publicly to residents, was unjustly set-up, a case built against her, was TERMINATED and PUBLICLY DRAGGED THROUGH THE MUD!  (This campaign was led by Trustee Ryan Berman.)  CAO Jeannine Smith ATTEMPTED TO DENY the ability for Sue to collect unemployment…which thankfully was overturned by a letter-writing campaign by numerous residents!

• Remember Village / Election Clerk Jan Hansen who served this Village for 19-yrs…the longest serving Clerk in McHenry County?

§  Jan stood up to CAO Smith and President Stephan and came forward to report both VERBALLY AND IN WRITING the bullying, harassment and mistreatment of Village employees…confirming everything Chief Todd Richardson AND Sue Villie had said…as well as confirming IL Election Statute violations of current board members President Stephan, Trustee Pam Eddy and Trustee Dan Alexander running for re-election.  Jan was threatened/intimated by the position of current board members and pressured BY President Phil Stephan to release campaign petition packets TO  President Phil Stephan.  Jan was unjustly setup, a case built against her, was TERMINATED and PUBLICLY DRAGGED THROUGH THE MUD!  (This campaign was led by Trustee Ryan Berman.)

In ALL of these cases, the word that flashes brighter than President Phil Stephan’s billboard on Rte. 47 is “RETALIATION”.  And have we all noticed that the common denominator is Trustee Ryan Berman, with his abuse of power, massive over-reaching of boundaries, conflict of interest with his wife working with CAO Smith, use of his influence to get Dan Alexander appointed as a Trustee and Sheldon Smith appointed to the P&Z commission, and wielding that sword of punishment and retribution for anyone speaking up against CAO Smith and President Stephan?

Please remember ALL 24 dedicated hard-working and respected Village employees that made our Village a happy, safe and secure community.  Thank you to ALL of them.  I am so sorry you got screwed!

–         Police Chief Mike Roth

–         Police Chief Todd Richardson

–         Police Sgt. Paul Olzsak

–         Police Officer Eddy Pluviose

–         Police Officer Steve Kapsalis

–         Police Officer Alan Anderson

–         Business Analyst Sue Villie

–         Village Clerk / FOIA Officer Jan Hansen

–         Utility Billing Clerk Paige Sorenson

–         Police Records Administrator Jeanette LoBosco

–         Village Hall Front Desk Receptionist Melissa McCain

–         Public Works Foreman Barry Wickersheim

–         Redtail Pro Shop Crew Gregg Squires

–         Redtail Maintenance Crew Grant Regal

–         Redtail F&B Mgr. Nancy Lutz

–         Redtail Golf Club Crew Lauren Lentz

–         Village Treasurer and Interim Redtail Mgr. Jean Heckman

–         Public Works Maintenance Crew Bryan Rudden

–         Utility Billing Clerk Beckey Kijak

–         Village Hall Front Desk Receptionist Peggy Yarbro

–         Redtail Golf Pro Curt Peterson

–         Redtail F&B Mgr. Ed Kisman

–         Utility Billing Clerk Sue Riccardi

–         Redtail Maint. Supv. Leigh Thornton

–         Redtail GM Chris Neuhart

I respect ALL of you!  ALL of you mattered to the RESIDENTS OF THIS VILLAGE, regardless of how badly “this administration and board majority” treated you!

TO SOME OF MY PREVIOUS COLLEAGUES:

I am extremely grateful for the counsel, examples of class and continued dedication to this Village that THESE previous Village officials/residents have shown: 

·         Thank you Erin Smith, Gene Furey, Ric Ritchie, Pat Rexroat, Carl Davis, Jason McMahon and Bryan Younge!

TO THE 5 REMAINING BOARD OF TRUSTEES:

Each of you as a Trustee represent a faction of our residents.  None of us speak for ALL…but ALL of us speak for SOME. 

·         So though you are voting as a block WITH Phil, your obligation isn’t TO Phil…it is TO THE RESIDENTS that elected you!   And whether you want to admit it or not, there are many residents that:

o    DON’T agree with you!

o    DON’T like what YOU HAVE DONE to our Village staff legacy and history!

o    DON’T like the public shaming of employees OR residents OR Trustees!

o    DON’T like the overstepping of boundaries (of Trustee Ryan Berman) with employees!

o    DON’T condone the mysterious “reclassifications” in financials explanations!

o    DON’T accept the broad-brush blaming of “errors on previous employees”! 

o    DON’T like the embarrassment you have brought against our Village reputation!

o    DON’T like the HIDING AND DISGUISING of “Trustee” identities in months of legal bills that you have condoned and WE are paying for!

·         When residents have called me, emailed me, texted me (yes, DURING meetings), approached me at church, when I’m out for a walk, at the grocery story, etc. telling me  they feel the way I feel and urge me to ask questions about specific issues that concern them…AND I DO SO, I AM SPEAKING FOR THOSE RESDIENTS…SOME of the 1800 homes.  Like it or not!

§  The “board majority” chastising me during Trustee Comments is because YOU can’t control the narrative…other than muting me.  Calling me names, minimizing my concerns, accusing me of being unprepared and uninformed because I am  NOT blindly voting YES with everything President Stephan jams down our throats…you are doing so to ALL THOSE RESIDENTS that have reached out to ME with concerns about YOU! 

o    Issues brought up for residents and employees DURING the board meetings are so those issues are ON THE RECORD. 

§  When Jeannine, Phil and the “board majority” have fired, chased away, defamed, violated and harassed employees and vilified Bryan Younge for standing up for them, you have demonstrated that EVERY word that the ex-employees and Bryan Younge have said ARE true! 

§  When you (Trustee Ryan Berman) go after Bryan Younge’s wife, calling her names and sending disparaging, inappropriate emails directly to her, suggesting mental illness and professional intervention, you have NO idea how many OTHER residents find your under-handed tactics disturbing and offensive and flat-out creepy!

§  Might be 3…might be 30…but it might be 300! 

o    So it suffices to say there are now SOME number of residents that, based on President Stephan and this “board majority’s” comments and name-calling , feel THEY too have (by association) been referred to as “silly”, “uninformed”, “liars”, “stupid”, “anarchists”, “delusional”…and “yahoos”. 

§  One name you forgot to throw out there…VOTERS! 

§  So gang up, pile on, try to embarrass Trustees NOT part of the “majority”, continue with the “high-fiving” and “I’ll give you that 1^st” and “I’ve got your back with a 2^nd” nonsense like this is some f*****g fraternity rather than a municipal board!  How juvenile!

Trustees Pam Eddy and Dan Alexander:

You have shown YOUR true colors to VOTERS!  YOUR allegiance is to Phil.  And you have NO respect for Village employees or IL Election Code Statutes. 

·         I predict you will NOT remain on this board after April 6th!  My fingers are crossed!

Trustees Ryan Berman and Brian Augustine:

Ryan Berman, you belong in the Guinness Book of World Records for arrogance and smugness beyond explanation.

·         After your public defaming of Jean, Sue and Jan on March 23, 2021, a public apology is due FROM you TO all 3 ladies that the accusations made against them were unfounded lies and 100% false.

Brian Augustine, I found your righteous indignation and “pause for effect” lecturing a bit precious.  Referring to “embellished facts”, “misinformation”, “hostile narrative”, and sowing “division, hatred and threats” was quite heavy-handed when followed by Ryan Berman’s providing of a live demonstration of those exact tactics.   Well coordinated, guys!

·         After your public scolding of residents/participants of the private FB group, a public admonishment and dressing-down FROM you TO Trustee Ryan Berman for his baseless and falsely-stated diatribe against Jean, Sue and Jan on March 23, 2021 is due.  

I believe that BOTH of you have shown YOUR true colors but will escape the guillotine of April 6th.  Your referendum is coming, though. 

·         If you had any decency, you BOTH would resign!  But based on your egos, I am not holding my breath.  Hopefully residents will petition you to do so.

And to the entire “board majority:

·         There are STILL 74 hidden/“secret” consultations/meetings/phone calls/conferences/interactions with YOU and the Village law firm ZRFM (from May 2020 to Feb. of 2021) that this “board majority” is disguising!  These have been asked about dozens of times and IS the main reason a lawsuit was brought against the Village.  Legal bills are paid on the backs of the residents…so residents deserve to know the legal details of WHO is behind these legal interactions…the details of 74 purposely-disguised interactions between “a Trustee” and ZRFM Attorneys Michael Smoron and/or Brad Stewart, CAO Smith, President Stephan.  Trustees Berman, Ulrich, Augustine and Eddy KNOW the truth BUT WON’T divulge the truth.  Lakewood residents paying these legal bills DESERVE the truth!  (I will publish more about this issue!)

 Seriously, give that whole resignation suggestion some real consideration.

And finally…

President Phil Stephan and CAO Jeannine Smith:

What you have done to this Village…

·         AND it’s employees…

·         AND it’s residents…

·         AND it’s financial stability…

·         AND it’s Police Department…

·         AND it’s community reputation…

IS DESPICABLE!  YOU YOU NEED DO ANSWER FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!