The Algonquin Township Board had on its agenda the discussion of a Freedom of Information suit against Algonquin Township at Wednesday’s meeting.
There was not indication that the discussion would not be in open session, so I attended.
I was one of four people in the room.
Others were Trustee Dan Shea, Clerk Karen Lukasik and Assessor Richard Alexander.
When the court suit came up, the Board decided to adjourn into secret session.
Out the door I had to go until they emerged from Executive session.
No details were given at the meeting, but I learned that the proposed settlement was rejected.
Additional litigation, of course, means the legal fees will undoubtedly exceed the $100,000 in the proposed settlement.
In addition to the money, which will go to the Edgar County Watchdogs attorney, the Township will have to provide the requested records.
A settlement offer of $45,000 was made to both the Road District and the Board previously.
The Road District paid; the Township Board decided to litigate further.
Sick it to them Watchdogs. Lutzow gets runner up for fool of the year. Lukasik wins!
Who’s the the township lawyer?
Guess someone should have done their job huh?! now you pay… for being some real D.A.’s.
What value did tax payers get by this BS?
The Dog’s are abusing the FOIA law by piling on with nonsense file requests.
All this is is BS by the Dog’s to support their hobby of whining about government.
Yes the elected township Board, Supervisor, Clerk, and Highway Comm. made it worst playing their own political games, but it’s the Dog’s who initiated the game with their partners Team Gasser.
Bottom line is all this nonsense FOIA piling on hurts the tax payers.
Another ignorant comment from Robin who continues to misrepresent the truth in his ramblings.
Those responsible are the officials who refused and ignored simple FOIA requests.
What happened to James Kelly?
He’s the root of the problem.
I went to a township mtg in 2018.
He controlled everything.
It always seemed like he was haughty and was hiding things.
Dante W, I agree!
Kelly will do anything to keep his billing to continue.
Algonquin Township should do as other townships and such boards
Periodically they should advertise for interviews with different law firms and decide whether or not to retain the same firm or to hire another firm.
Well over 100 files requsted in a short period of time Kirk is not a simple dealy.
Truth is so piled on with nothing to show forit other than our tax dollars in your pocket.
I left out Kelly as part of the problem, my bad.
The Nob is a cheap useless tick on the body politic. Get some matches.
There is law in place they have 5 days to answer it if they can’t answer it in the five days all they have to do is send a request to the person asking for it for more time another 5 days.
This is nothing more then the government trying to hide information from the people.
If I’m not mistaken that lawyer has been involved with several foia violations.
In fact one of the Township’s he represents received a binding decision from the attorney general for not giving over material.
I don’t understand why these Villages just don’t do their job and give the people what they are under the law allowed to have unless of course they’re trying to hide something.
For these guys not to pay the money they’re going to get fined anyways.
It’s going to cost a lot more money in the long run government needs to run smarter not harder and just because it’s the people’s money doesn’t mean they should just waste it by not paying the fines that would be levied against them and save money and lawyers fees in the long run.
Then again they could have avoided all of this if they would have just done with the law demands they do they are not above the law.