McHenry County Blog

As readers of McHenry County Blog know, McHenry County State’s yours truly, Attorney Lou Bianchi sued the McHenry County College Board for kicking four citizens, including from out of its building while the trustees were meeting in top secret, hush, hush, about what shall we do about leasing land to or from, I assume, a radio station.

President Walt Packard was so desperate to keep any information about what John Maguire was proposing that he rushed to cover the window through which I took the second, more revealing slide (the one below with his head blocking part of the slide) with the American flag. That’s his head behind the American flag above, too.

Although the meeting went on until after midnight and several other top secret, hush, hush meetings have considered John Maguire’s radio tower proposal, all that has leaked out has been two photographs seen above taken through the windows of the McHenry County College board room.

But, another source provided this information about what Maguire wants. If this is correct, wouldn’t you think the public ought to know about it?

But, there’s no paper trail at McHenry County College, except what Trustee Scott Summers took home. And, the college said that was top secret, hush, hush, as well…even after Summers had drawn all those black lines through it.

After the big cover-up, I got this warning letter from Packard.

Then, I found this article about getting permission to put towers on land in Will County. Don’t know if it is related, but I believe the radio station next to MCC’s campus is owned by the same corporation.

While the college board instructed its security officers to cover up the windows the night I took the photos of the broadcast tower slides and, not coincidentally, in my opinion, the night we four were kicked out, now there is a more efficient method.

Newly-installed Venetian blinds prevent us prying taxpayers from seeing inside the board room named after former board members Herb Lutter and Bill Ryan. (Somehow, I don’t think the two, both of whom I knew fairly well, would have approved of all the secrecy.)

I know their names because they are on a plaque right next to the sign informing people outside the room that a secret meeting is going on and right next to the sign saying flash photography is prohibited.

Since one can no longer see the top secret, hush, hush, meetings, all one has to look at now that the college secrecy advocates have installed Venetian blinds to, well, keep prying eyes and cameras from seeing what goes on in a top secret, hush, hush, college board meeting.

I asked some friends who might be attending last Thursday’s meeting to let me know what happened. Here’s one response from a friend of McHenry County Blog:

You missed a lot of interesting information at the MCC Trustees meeting(s) tonight. Here are some highlights:

In response to a citizen question about why Friends of MCC Foundation Director Joe Like is included in closed sessions, when he is employed by the Foundation itself, Dr. Packard stated that Mr. Like is a paid employee of the college and a member of the President’s cabinet.

The decision to buy the $2600 Apple notebook computers instead of the $8-900 PC’s was “curriculum driven.”

Maybe, I dunno.

When the slate of new officers was presented it turned out that Donna Kurtz was not contacted and did not have any input into the process, nor could she get Mary Miller who was the nominating chair (and slated for Vice President) to commit when asked to affirm that the new leadership team would be open minded and willing to consider the ideas and views of ALL the Trustees.

Ms. Miller just deflected, by asserting that the whole board was already pretty open and had made some good progress toward being more so. Mr. Lowe (slated President) deflected by keeping his head down.

When she was distracted from an agenda item by a side discussion with Carol Larson, George Lowe impatiently reprimanded Donna Kurtz that she should pay attention sometimes.

When newly seated (literally five minutes before) Student Trustee Tom Kendzie voted “abstain” from a roll call vote on reappointment of the Board Attorney Sandra Kerrick, he was told he couldn’t do that. He voted affirmative on that and the rest of the agenda. (His vote either way did not change the outcome.)

George Lowe prefaced his comments on the same agenda item with comments that it was too late to make any desired changes at this meeting; that they should work on that and get it ready for next year if they wanted to change attorneys.

Oh, and they watered down Donna Kurtz’s idea to have OM training for the board, into a request for the State’s Attorney to schedule one of their trainings on an MCC Trustees “off-night” so those who wanted to attend could attend and those who did not want to… well you get the drift.

But nothing quite says it all like the irony of going into closed session to discuss the State’s Attorney’s filing an Open Meetings violation against them.

On a more positive note, they did a nice job of presenting Katie Claypool with a plaque and her parents were there to celebrate with her. They swore in the new student trustee and senate officers. And they finished all three agenda’s by 9 p.m. Not a word about a cell tower.

Anonymous

And, a post script:

I forgot to tell you that there were no barricades as Packard had mentioned in the Herald article that there would be. We were very disappointed.

The new student trustee needs to know that he can abstain on anything he wants to, regardless of what anyone says, unless there is something in the board rules specifically saying abstentions are not allowed. It won’t take long for him to see that anti-bullying rules do not apply to board meetings.

Except for the two pictures of the new Venetian blinds, one open from the inside next to Trustee Donna Kurtz and one closed from the outside, the other photos of efforts to cover up the windows occurred at the meeting before the four of us were illegally kicked out of the MCC building.

As readers of McHenry County Blog know, McHenry County State’s yours truly, Attorney Lou Bianchi sued the McHenry County College Board for kicking four citizens, including from out of its building while the trustees were meeting in top secret, hush, hush, about what shall we do about leasing land to or from, I assume, a radio station.

President Walt Packard was so desperate to keep any information about what John Maguire was proposing that he rushed to cover the window through which I took the second, more revealing slide (the one below with his head blocking part of the slide) with the American flag. That’s his head behind the American flag above, too.

Although the meeting went on until after midnight and several other top secret, hush, hush meetings have considered John Maguire’s radio tower proposal, all that has leaked out has been two photographs seen above taken through the windows of the McHenry County College board room.

But, another source provided this information about what Maguire wants. If this is correct, wouldn’t you think the public ought to know about it?

But, there’s no paper trail at McHenry County College, except what Trustee Scott Summers took home. And, the college said that was top secret, hush, hush, as well…even after Summers had drawn all those black lines through it.

After the big cover-up, I got this warning letter from Packard.

Then, I found this article about getting permission to put towers on land in Will County. Don’t know if it is related, but I believe the radio station next to MCC’s campus is owned by the same corporation.

While the college board instructed its security officers to cover up the windows the night I took the photos of the broadcast tower slides and, not coincidentally, in my opinion, the night we four were kicked out, now there is a more efficient method.

Newly-installed Venetian blinds prevent us prying taxpayers from seeing inside the board room named after former board members Herb Lutter and Bill Ryan. (Somehow, I don’t think the two, both of whom I knew fairly well, would have approved of all the secrecy.)

I know their names because they are on a plaque right next to the sign informing people outside the room that a secret meeting is going on and right next to the sign saying flash photography is prohibited.

Since one can no longer see the top secret, hush, hush, meetings, all one has to look at now that the college secrecy advocates have installed Venetian blinds to, well, keep prying eyes and cameras from seeing what goes on in a top secret, hush, hush, college board meeting.

I asked some friends who might be attending last Thursday’s meeting to let me know what happened. Here’s one response from a friend of McHenry County Blog:

You missed a lot of interesting information at the MCC Trustees meeting(s) tonight. Here are some highlights:

In response to a citizen question about why Friends of MCC Foundation Director Joe Like is included in closed sessions, when he is employed by the Foundation itself, Dr. Packard stated that Mr. Like is a paid employee of the college and a member of the President’s cabinet.

The decision to buy the $2600 Apple notebook computers instead of the $8-900 PC’s was “curriculum driven.”

Maybe, I dunno.

When the slate of new officers was presented it turned out that Donna Kurtz was not contacted and did not have any input into the process, nor could she get Mary Miller who was the nominating chair (and slated for Vice President) to commit when asked to affirm that the new leadership team would be open minded and willing to consider the ideas and views of ALL the Trustees.

Ms. Miller just deflected, by asserting that the whole board was already pretty open and had made some good progress toward being more so. Mr. Lowe (slated President) deflected by keeping his head down.

When she was distracted from an agenda item by a side discussion with Carol Larson, George Lowe impatiently reprimanded Donna Kurtz that she should pay attention sometimes.

When newly seated (literally five minutes before) Student Trustee Tom Kendzie voted “abstain” from a roll call vote on reappointment of the Board Attorney Sandra Kerrick, he was told he couldn’t do that. He voted affirmative on that and the rest of the agenda. (His vote either way did not change the outcome.)

George Lowe prefaced his comments on the same agenda item with comments that it was too late to make any desired changes at this meeting; that they should work on that and get it ready for next year if they wanted to change attorneys.

Oh, and they watered down Donna Kurtz’s idea to have OM training for the board, into a request for the State’s Attorney to schedule one of their trainings on an MCC Trustees “off-night” so those who wanted to attend could attend and those who did not want to… well you get the drift.

But nothing quite says it all like the irony of going into closed session to discuss the State’s Attorney’s filing an Open Meetings violation against them.

On a more positive note, they did a nice job of presenting Katie Claypool with a plaque and her parents were there to celebrate with her. They swore in the new student trustee and senate officers. And they finished all three agenda’s by 9 p.m. Not a word about a cell tower.

Anonymous

And, a post script:

I forgot to tell you that there were no barricades as Packard had mentioned in the Herald article that there would be. We were very disappointed.

The new student trustee needs to know that he can abstain on anything he wants to, regardless of what anyone says, unless there is something in the board rules specifically saying abstentions are not allowed. It won’t take long for him to see that anti-bullying rules do not apply to board meetings.

Except for the two pictures of the new Venetian blinds, one open from the inside next to Trustee Donna Kurtz and one closed from the outside, the other photos of efforts to cover up the windows occurred at the meeting before the four of us were illegally kicked out of the MCC building.

Notice how I am trying to catch up to the lingo of the younger generation in my headline.

McHenry County Board member Scott Summers asked a couple of months ago for MCC staffers to explore and cost out whether th board’s meeting could be live streamed on the internet.

Monday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting Kathleen Plinske gave the report.

The biggest objection presented was that band width for 6 or 7 o’clock meetings would compete with high student and teacher use of the internet facilities.

The biggest cost cited was the need for a communications technician at meetings. The pay would be $20 an hour.

Big deal, I’m thinking.

As might be expected, “the staff doesn’t recommend video,” she said.

Summers asked about the band width requirements for live stream audio.

“The requirements for ban width would be significantly less,” she observed, but noted it would still “require a technician.”

“I think it’s a good experiment,” Summers said, pointing out that the only equipment cost would be a $200 recorder.

Ally Donna Kurtz suggested it “gives us a proving ground,” but she asked that the audio be indexed by agenda item.

“Let’s break out the agenda items so people have a menu to pick from,” she advocated.

“In terms of splitting up the audio, that’s not something staff had thought about,” Plinske replied. “It would increase the amount of staff time.”

Maybe a bit, but the board secretary could easily note the time when consideration began on new agenda items.

But, whether it was practical or not was irrelevant, the board majority had made up its mind that this would be too much transparency.

“I’m not really for this,” Mary Miller said.

As they went around the room, Summers, who sits next to Miller, expressed his support for a six-month trial.

“Not in favor,” veteran board member Barbara Walters said.

“I’m not in favor. We have an open meeting. Pelple can come,” Frances Glossen, who often votes on the losing side with Summers and Kurtz, said.

“Not in favor,” MCC Board President George Lowe continued.

“Not either,” Carol Larson said.

Arguing for “transparency,” Kurtz said, “The expense is insignificant.”

“I’m in favor of it,” the youngest, student board member Katie Claypool said.

Kurtz asked if it would be voted upon at Thursday’s board meeting.

“Not on the agenda,” was the reply…from Lowe, I believe.

“So, there will be no vote on it,” Kurtz observed.

Face it.

This board does not want anyone to be able to listen to what they have said.

= = = = =
McHenry County Board member Scott Summers is in the top photo. Trustee Donna Kurtz can be seen talking in the one below. Behind her is Trustee Carol Larson. At the bottom can be seen the board and several administrators. Kathleen Plinske is seated to the left at the table in front of the board.

Thanks for the additional information from the person who left a comment. (I have corrected the spelling mistake.)

Notice how I am trying to catch up to the lingo of the younger generation in my headline.

McHenry County Board member Scott Summers asked a couple of months ago for MCC staffers to explore and cost out whether th board’s meeting could be live streamed on the internet.

Monday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting Kathleen Plinske gave the report.

The biggest objection presented was that band width for 6 or 7 o’clock meetings would compete with high student and teacher use of the internet facilities.

The biggest cost cited was the need for a communications technician at meetings. The pay would be $20 an hour.

Big deal, I’m thinking.

As might be expected, “the staff doesn’t recommend video,” she said.

Summers asked about the band width requirements for live stream audio.

“The requirements for ban width would be significantly less,” she observed, but noted it would still “require a technician.”

“I think it’s a good experiment,” Summers said, pointing out that the only equipment cost would be a $200 recorder.

Ally Donna Kurtz suggested it “gives us a proving ground,” but she asked that the audio be indexed by agenda item.

“Let’s break out the agenda items so people have a menu to pick from,” she advocated.

“In terms of splitting up the audio, that’s not something staff had thought about,” Plinske replied. “It would increase the amount of staff time.”

Maybe a bit, but the board secretary could easily note the time when consideration began on new agenda items.

But, whether it was practical or not was irrelevant, the board majority had made up its mind that this would be too much transparency.

“I’m not really for this,” Mary Miller said.

As they went around the room, Summers, who sits next to Miller, expressed his support for a six-month trial.

“Not in favor,” veteran board member Barbara Walters said.

“I’m not in favor. We have an open meeting. Pelple can come,” Frances Glossen, who often votes on the losing side with Summers and Kurtz, said.

“Not in favor,” MCC Board President George Lowe continued.

“Not either,” Carol Larson said.

Arguing for “transparency,” Kurtz said, “The expense is insignificant.”

“I’m in favor of it,” the youngest, student board member Katie Claypool said.

Kurtz asked if it would be voted upon at Thursday’s board meeting.

“Not on the agenda,” was the reply…from Lowe, I believe.

“So, there will be no vote on it,” Kurtz observed.

Face it.

This board does not want anyone to be able to listen to what they have said.

= = = = =
McHenry County Board member Scott Summers is in the top photo. Trustee Donna Kurtz can be seen talking in the one below. Behind her is Trustee Carol Larson. At the bottom can be seen the board and several administrators. Kathleen Plinske is seated to the left at the table in front of the board.

Thanks for the additional information from the person who left a comment. (I have corrected the spelling mistake.)

The students at McHenry County College elect a student trustee each year.

Replacing Katie Claypool will be Tom Kendzie.

Kendzie lives in Crystal Lake. He won the election 180-150. (I told him I won my first contest by 72 votes out of about 13,000–33%-, 33%, 33%+).

Sorry about the slightly fuzzy photo and that of Lowe below, but without being able to use the camera’s flash attachment, the lens has to be open longer and that increases the probability of my shaking the camera. Claypool’s was taken before the ban took effect.

Kendzie was asking Claypool why the college board met in secret. (In last night’s case, it was to discuss employee contract negotiations.)

He was reacting to former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz’ comments to the board, which she almost finished before MCC Board Chairman George Lowe interrupted her to tell her time (3 minutes and opposed to 5 the Crystal Lake City Council allows) was up.

Kurtz pointed out that Erv LeCoque and his friends “already (had) several millions in hand” for the every high school graduate can go to MCC scholarship fund, “if the MCC Board of Trustees drops the minor league baseball enterprise.”

Based on what happened at the Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday, Kurtz expressed optimism that would happen. It “gave me great hope.”

“If you go back to your (educational) focus, (you will be well served), Kurtz said.

She then compared the proposed baseball investment to what people do when they invest in a hedge fund.

Kurtz explained that hedge fund investors “don’t know what their hedge fund manager is doing, (because) they do it in secret.”

Investors also know that “the hedge fund manager takes a big share,” she continued.

Then the part that Kenzie was inquiring about:

“According to the open meetings act, you don’t have to go into a secret meeting when (you negotiate a contract).

“I hope you will open up those meetings to the public.”

Kurtz pointed out that MCC taxpayers have expertise in areas beyond what the board members and staff have and that the board would do well to utilize it.

Then, Lowe interrupted Kurtz.

= = = = =

Mr. Kendzie could find the secret meetings that got the college in so much trouble by typing “secret meeting” into McHenry County Blog’s search engine. Indeed, if he or others want to be brought up to date on how McHenry County College hid the baseball stadium proposal from the public and the incredible amount of trouble MCC got into as a direct result, just type “baseball stadium” in the search engine. McHenry County Blog broke the story and has certainly covered it more extensively than any where else, including Monday’s death knell announcement by President Walt Packard.

The students at McHenry County College elect a student trustee each year.

Replacing Katie Claypool will be Tom Kendzie.

Kendzie lives in Crystal Lake. He won the election 180-150. (I told him I won my first contest by 72 votes out of about 13,000–33%-, 33%, 33%+).

Sorry about the slightly fuzzy photo and that of Lowe below, but without being able to use the camera’s flash attachment, the lens has to be open longer and that increases the probability of my shaking the camera. Claypool’s was taken before the ban took effect.

Kendzie was asking Claypool why the college board met in secret. (In last night’s case, it was to discuss employee contract negotiations.)

He was reacting to former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz’ comments to the board, which she almost finished before MCC Board Chairman George Lowe interrupted her to tell her time (3 minutes and opposed to 5 the Crystal Lake City Council allows) was up.

Kurtz pointed out that Erv LeCoque and his friends “already (had) several millions in hand” for the every high school graduate can go to MCC scholarship fund, “if the MCC Board of Trustees drops the minor league baseball enterprise.”

Based on what happened at the Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday, Kurtz expressed optimism that would happen. It “gave me great hope.”

“If you go back to your (educational) focus, (you will be well served), Kurtz said.

She then compared the proposed baseball investment to what people do when they invest in a hedge fund.

Kurtz explained that hedge fund investors “don’t know what their hedge fund manager is doing, (because) they do it in secret.”

Investors also know that “the hedge fund manager takes a big share,” she continued.

Then the part that Kenzie was inquiring about:

“According to the open meetings act, you don’t have to go into a secret meeting when (you negotiate a contract).

“I hope you will open up those meetings to the public.”

Kurtz pointed out that MCC taxpayers have expertise in areas beyond what the board members and staff have and that the board would do well to utilize it.

Then, Lowe interrupted Kurtz.

= = = = =

Mr. Kendzie could find the secret meetings that got the college in so much trouble by typing “secret meeting” into McHenry County Blog’s search engine. Indeed, if he or others want to be brought up to date on how McHenry County College hid the baseball stadium proposal from the public and the incredible amount of trouble MCC got into as a direct result, just type “baseball stadium” in the search engine. McHenry County Blog broke the story and has certainly covered it more extensively than any where else, including Monday’s death knell announcement by President Walt Packard.

Yesterday, McHenry County Blog started a little dance about which all of us are familiar.

It’s the one step forward, two steps back.

It’s an attempt to make the public think there is progress.

This was a transparency dance.

I was reminded of the dress with wings that Queen Elizabeth wore in the recent motion picture about her. My son thought she looked like an angel.

A public body will do something good, then, as in the case of McHenry County College, immediately take action in the opposite direction.

Today we continue with our story with the first step backwards.

Later in last Thursday’s meeting, Trustee Scott Summers pressed for a decision to be made on appealing denials to the whole board at Thursday’s meeting.

Sometime after the discussion following my handing over my FOI denial appeal, the board decided to take a vote on his idea for an “informal appeals mechanism” from presidential FOI denials.

“We sometimes run them by our attorneys,” Trustee Carol Larson pointed out.

“We always run them by them,” Walt Packard corrected.

“We are the policy people,” Summers interjected.

“I think it’s incumbent for us…to permit the public to have…a safety valve.”

“They are acting in accordance with the law,” Barbara Walters stated.

“You’re not allowing the president to run the college.”

And then came this affirmation:

There may even have been an exclamation mark.

Needless to say, Walters announced she was “not in favor of any changes.”

Following Walters’ lead was board member Mary Miller:

“My comment would be it isn’t necessary.”

Frances Glosson disagreed:

“I think it enhances our transparency.”

“We don’t take any responsibility for the community,” Donna Kurtz observed, supporting Summer’s move.

That and more that Kurtz said prompted Walters to weigh in again:

”With regard to openness…(this board) has been very open in our executive session meetings.”

She intimated that documents circulated in such meetings had been revealed to outsiders.

I would note that there would be nothing illegal in doing so, as the Crystal Lake Park Board’s attorneys agreed during the suit by censured board member Leona Nelson several years ago.

“We have a real problem with ethics with some members of this board,” Walters continued. “Here, take a look at this…you might want to file a Freedom of Information request on this.”

At some point Lowe weighed in with the opposition.

The motion failed with only Summers, Kurtz and Glosson voting in favor. Walters, Lowe, Larsen, Miller and student trustee Katie Claypool voted to continue President Packard’s carte blanch power to deny Freedom of Information requests.

Tomorrow: “MCC – One Step Forward, Two Steps Back – Part 3″

Yesterday, McHenry County Blog started a little dance about which all of us are familiar.

It’s the one step forward, two steps back.

It’s an attempt to make the public think there is progress.

This was a transparency dance.

I was reminded of the dress with wings that Queen Elizabeth wore in the recent motion picture about her. My son thought she looked like an angel.

A public body will do something good, then, as in the case of McHenry County College, immediately take action in the opposite direction.

Today we continue with our story with the first step backwards.

Later in last Thursday’s meeting, Trustee Scott Summers pressed for a decision to be made on appealing denials to the whole board at Thursday’s meeting.

Sometime after the discussion following my handing over my FOI denial appeal, the board decided to take a vote on his idea for an “informal appeals mechanism” from presidential FOI denials.

“We sometimes run them by our attorneys,” Trustee Carol Larson pointed out.

“We always run them by them,” Walt Packard corrected.

“We are the policy people,” Summers interjected.

“I think it’s incumbent for us…to permit the public to have…a safety valve.”

“They are acting in accordance with the law,” Barbara Walters stated.

“You’re not allowing the president to run the college.”

And then came this affirmation:

There may even have been an exclamation mark.

Needless to say, Walters announced she was “not in favor of any changes.”

Following Walters’ lead was board member Mary Miller:

“My comment would be it isn’t necessary.”

Frances Glosson disagreed:

“I think it enhances our transparency.”

“We don’t take any responsibility for the community,” Donna Kurtz observed, supporting Summer’s move.

That and more that Kurtz said prompted Walters to weigh in again:

”With regard to openness…(this board) has been very open in our executive session meetings.”

She intimated that documents circulated in such meetings had been revealed to outsiders.

I would note that there would be nothing illegal in doing so, as the Crystal Lake Park Board’s attorneys agreed during the suit by censured board member Leona Nelson several years ago.

“We have a real problem with ethics with some members of this board,” Walters continued. “Here, take a look at this…you might want to file a Freedom of Information request on this.”

At some point Lowe weighed in with the opposition.

The motion failed with only Summers, Kurtz and Glosson voting in favor. Walters, Lowe, Larsen, Miller and student trustee Katie Claypool voted to continue President Packard’s carte blanch power to deny Freedom of Information requests.

Tomorrow: “MCC – One Step Forward, Two Steps Back – Part 3″

Thursday I wrote my praise of McHenry County College’s posting of the items in its board packet and the second Economics Research Associates’ rather feeble attempt to justify a baseball stadium.

It was a long overdue move toward transparency.

But, then, during that very night’s meeting the board majority—

George Lowe, Barbara alters, Carol Larsen and Mary Miller and student trustee Katie Claypool—

turned thumbs down on a proposal by Trustee Scott Summers to allow those with Freedom of Information requests rejected by the Freedom of Information officer,(which really means MCC President Walt Packard) and, then (again) on appeal to President Packard, to appeal to the college board before going to court.

During public comment time at Monday’s meeting, I praised the administration for posting the board packets so soon after a board consensus was reached on Monday. I also filed my first appeal of a Freedom of Information request denial.

When Mark Maguire, real estate agent Cindi McDonald and attorney Mark Saladin appeared before the college board in secret session, it was pretty obvious that something serious was being discussed.

A document was passed around, pictures of which were posted on McHenry County Blog.

When I got my denial, I wrote of how lacking in credibility it was.

After presenting my appeal to the board, Trustee Scott Summers revealed he had read the article in the above link and observed,

“There were materials and had we redacted them (we could have provided it to Mr. Skinner). I will pass them around.”

“Has that been completely redacted?” interjected Attorney Sandi Kerrick.

“This is about waiver of what we considered (confidential). We should have accurately reported that we had documents.”

Board member Barbara Walters looked at the mainly black lines on the paper and said that she could read the letters through the blacked out portions.

“When we’re in underlying negotiations, the document (is confidential),” Kerrick continued. “There is at least one confidential document. I think we should not (release it). They came here only under (its being) confidential…We can acknowledge there is at least one document.”

“The denial said there were no documents,” Summers pointed out.

“It is my understanding that the documents were collected and returned,” controller of MCC document releases Packard said.

”It was my understanding that we could keep the biography,” Summers replied.

“I have no documents in my possession,” Packard added. “(There are none) in the president’s office. I don’t believe the president’s office has these documents.”

As the one who made the request, I would point out that the location of any records concerning John Maguire, Cindi McDonald or Mark Saladin is irrelevant. A Freedom of Information request calls for a search of all records at the junior college, making Packard’s limited statement that had no documents in his office of marginal importance.

In tomorrow’s “MCC – One Step Forward, Two Steps Back – Part 2″ the junior college board has an opportunity to build upon the expansion of transparency by allowing the board to overrule the president’s Freedom of Information denials, but can’t bring themselves to take that teeny, tiny step forward in limiting President Packard’s power.

= = = = =
In the top picture, McHenry County College Trustee Scott Summers speaks about how the college does possess at least one document requested in my Freedom of Information request about Cindi McDonald, John Maguire and Mark Saladin’s secret presentation to a previous board meeting. Trustee Barbara Walters can be seen in front of the American Flag used in the subsequent secret meeting with Maguire, et al, to block my view of McGuire’s power point presentation. Attorney Sandy Kerrick’s head is in the foreground. Saladin can be seen making his presentation at a previous secret meeting. John Maguire and Cindi McDonald sit beside him. The redacted biography of John Maguire can be seen and enlarged by clicking on it, as can all the pictures. Attorney Sandy Kerrick is seen to the left of the document. MCC President Walt Packard is in the next photograph.

Thursday I wrote my praise of McHenry County College’s posting of the items in its board packet and the second Economics Research Associates’ rather feeble attempt to justify a baseball stadium.

It was a long overdue move toward transparency.

But, then, during that very night’s meeting the board majority—

George Lowe, Barbara alters, Carol Larsen and Mary Miller and student trustee Katie Claypool—

turned thumbs down on a proposal by Trustee Scott Summers to allow those with Freedom of Information requests rejected by the Freedom of Information officer,(which really means MCC President Walt Packard) and, then (again) on appeal to President Packard, to appeal to the college board before going to court.

During public comment time at Monday’s meeting, I praised the administration for posting the board packets so soon after a board consensus was reached on Monday. I also filed my first appeal of a Freedom of Information request denial.

When Mark Maguire, real estate agent Cindi McDonald and attorney Mark Saladin appeared before the college board in secret session, it was pretty obvious that something serious was being discussed.

A document was passed around, pictures of which were posted on McHenry County Blog.

When I got my denial, I wrote of how lacking in credibility it was.

After presenting my appeal to the board, Trustee Scott Summers revealed he had read the article in the above link and observed,

“There were materials and had we redacted them (we could have provided it to Mr. Skinner). I will pass them around.”

“Has that been completely redacted?” interjected Attorney Sandi Kerrick.

“This is about waiver of what we considered (confidential). We should have accurately reported that we had documents.”

Board member Barbara Walters looked at the mainly black lines on the paper and said that she could read the letters through the blacked out portions.

“When we’re in underlying negotiations, the document (is confidential),” Kerrick continued. “There is at least one confidential document. I think we should not (release it). They came here only under (its being) confidential…We can acknowledge there is at least one document.”

“The denial said there were no documents,” Summers pointed out.

“It is my understanding that the documents were collected and returned,” controller of MCC document releases Packard said.

”It was my understanding that we could keep the biography,” Summers replied.

“I have no documents in my possession,” Packard added. “(There are none) in the president’s office. I don’t believe the president’s office has these documents.”

As the one who made the request, I would point out that the location of any records concerning John Maguire, Cindi McDonald or Mark Saladin is irrelevant. A Freedom of Information request calls for a search of all records at the junior college, making Packard’s limited statement that had no documents in his office of marginal importance.

In tomorrow’s “MCC – One Step Forward, Two Steps Back – Part 2″ the junior college board has an opportunity to build upon the expansion of transparency by allowing the board to overrule the president’s Freedom of Information denials, but can’t bring themselves to take that teeny, tiny step forward in limiting President Packard’s power.

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In the top picture, McHenry County College Trustee Scott Summers speaks about how the college does possess at least one document requested in my Freedom of Information request about Cindi McDonald, John Maguire and Mark Saladin’s secret presentation to a previous board meeting. Trustee Barbara Walters can be seen in front of the American Flag used in the subsequent secret meeting with Maguire, et al, to block my view of McGuire’s power point presentation. Attorney Sandy Kerrick’s head is in the foreground. Saladin can be seen making his presentation at a previous secret meeting. John Maguire and Cindi McDonald sit beside him. The redacted biography of John Maguire can be seen and enlarged by clicking on it, as can all the pictures. Attorney Sandy Kerrick is seen to the left of the document. MCC President Walt Packard is in the next photograph.