HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 06/09/2009 - Board of Trustees (2)Village of Oak Brook Closed Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 5 June 9, 2009
MINUTES OF THE JUNE 9, 2009 CLOSED MEETING OF THE
PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE
OF OAK BROOK REVIEWED BY VILLAGE BOARD ON JULY
14, 2009.
1. CALL TO ORDER
The Closed Meeting of June 9, 2009 of the Village Board of Trustees was called to
order by President Craig in the Upper Level Conference Room of the Butler
Government Center at 9:44 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL:
The Village Clerk Charlotte Pruss called the roll with the following persons
PRESENT: President John W. Craig, Trustees Stelios Aktipis, James Carson, Mark
Moy, Moin Saiyed, Gerald Wolin and Elaine Zannis
ABSENT: None
IN ATTENDANCE: David Niemeyer, Village Manager; Mark Sterk, Village Attorney
and Blaine Wing, Assistant Village Manager.
3. TO CONSIDER LITIGATION, WHEN AN ACTION AGAINST, AFFECTING OR
ON BEHALF OF THE VILLAGE HAS BEEN FILED AND IS PENDING BEFORE A
COURT OR ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL, OR WHEN THE PUBLIC BODY
FINDS THAT AN ACTION IS PROBABLE OR IMMINENT (2C11)
A. Mucha Litigation Update
Attorney Sterk provided an update indicating that in September of 2007 Randy
Mucha filed a seven count complaint against the Village, Chief Sheahan and the
Board of Fire and Police Commissioners asking the District Court for a judicial
review of the administrative decisions of the BFPC and several other issues. The
Village tendered the case to IRMA. Attorney Sterk requested that IRMA hire a
different attorney for this particular Mucha litigation. The Village filed a motion
to dismiss on behalf of the BFPC. The judge dismissed the Federal count and
several other counts. There are two and a half counts left. John Murphy,
representing the Village, filed a motion of summary judgment on those counts.
Randy Mucha has re-filed the administrative review of the termination order.
Attorney Sterk felt that this would fail due to the fact that the court cannot
reverse a commission’s finding unless the court finds that no reasonable person
would reach the same conclusion. He felt that the termination would be upheld.
He also felt the Village would be successful on the counts where the Village
filed the summary judgment due to the deceit included in Randy Mucha’s
previous testimony.
Village of Oak Brook Closed Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 5 June 9, 2009
4. TO DISCUSS COLLECTIVE NEGOTIATING MATTERS BETWEEN THE PUBLIC
BODY AND ITS EMPLOYEES OR THEIR REPRESENTATIVES, OR
DELIBERATIONS CONCERNING SALARY SCHEDULES FOR ONE OR MORE
CLASSES OF EMPLOYEES (2C2)
A. Contract Negotiation Updates
Assistant Village Manager Blaine Wing reported on his meeting with the Fire
union. He also reported that he had a meeting with the Police union later in the
week. He added that Village Attorney Sterk attended the Fire negotiation
meeting. He concluded that within the next two months dates were being
scheduled with Attorney Sterk. He requested direction from the Board on issues
including wages, health insurance and management rights (discipline) to take
into those meetings.
Attorney Sterk reported that the law has changed regarding disciplinary actions.
It now allows it to be part of collective bargaining and it has become part of Oak
Brook’s Police negotiations. The union will provide their proposal for their
recommendations for the disciplinary action process. Staff needs direction from
the Board as to their thoughts on this issue since this is a significant issue.
Assistant Village Manager Wing reported that this was a major issue with the
Police union and he felt if it did not go their way it would definitely go to
arbitration.
Attorney Sterk reporting on the Fire negotiations indicated that unless there was
a drastic change in the union participants’ position he felt that it was going to
take a long time. They want to start at page one and go through the contract
page by page. Assistant Village Manager Wing reminded that Board that
originally the union wanted to work from a completely new draft. The position
he held with them was that there was no requirement on the Village’s part to
begin from scratch since the choice to change from one union to another was not
the Village’s choice. Through his negotiations they agreed to work from the
current contract. However, since the current negotiating team from the Fire
Department are new to negotiations they want to go page by page.
Discussion ensued regarding staffing and negotiations. Attorney Sterk reiterated
his recommendation to hire a consultant. Trustee Aktipis indicated that the
Board was dismayed about the cost of the proposals received from consultants.
Manager Niemeyer had suggested narrowing the focus of the consultant to
reduce costs. Manager Niemeyer suggested that the two liaisons and Assistant
Village Manager Wing renegotiate the focus of the request and ask for additional
proposals since the proposals received were too broad. Trustee Zannis asked
that the target for bringing an award of contract to the next regularly scheduled
Village of Oak Brook Closed Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 5 June 9, 2009
Board Meeting.
Attorney Sterk also reported that the negotiation ground rules stated that the
Village was allowed to have observers, which include Board Members, attend
negotiations. He did not recommend that anyone attend the next session, but he
felt that there may become a point in time when it would be to the Board’s
advantage to see how the negotiations move.
Assistant Village Manager Wing clarified that his and Attorney Sterk’s direction
for negotiations would be the same as before with a focus on staffing.
5. TO CONSIDER THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT, COMPENSATION,
DISCIPLINE, PERFORMANCE, OR DISMISSAL OF SPECIFIC EMPLOYEES OF
THE PUBLIC BODY OR LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE PUBLIC BODY,
INCLUDING HEARING TESTIMONY ON A COMPLAINT LODGED AGAINST
AN EMPLOYEE OF THE PUBLIC BODY OR AGAINST LEGAL COUNSEL FOR
THE PUBLIC BODY TO DETERMINE ITS VALIDITY (2C1)
A Budget Related Personnel Issues
Manager Niemeyer addressed the discussions regarding replacement of the
Finance Director until 2010. He understood their desire and through discussions
with the Acting Finance Director Sharon Dangles and Assistant Village Manager
Wing, he felt that they would be able to do the budget without any additional
help.
He reminded the Board that the recommendation of staff for the Information
Technology Services stood at eliminating one IT position and looking at a six
month trial agreement for IT Services from an outside source. If the Board
provides direction staff would move forward. Trustee Aktipis suggested that the
new Financial Advisory Committee could provide expert advice in this area.
Assistant Village Manager Wing responded to a question indicating that the
annual salary for the current employee in that position was $81,000 and the
outsource contract would save approximately $30,000 annually.
There was consensus to move forward to eliminate the position and outsource IT
Services for a three months trial period.
Manager Niemeyer indicated that he had been advised by Attorney Sterk that the
discussion regarding Library staffing cannot be done in a Closed Meeting,
therefore he has suggested a special meeting be scheduled for next week to
discuss this topic.
Discussion began regarding staffing issues that Attorney Sterk recommended be
Village of Oak Brook Closed Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 5 June 9, 2009
done in an open meeting. Trustee Wolin suggested these discussions be held
during the upcoming Special Meeting.
B. Firefighter/Paramedic Vacancy
Manager Niemeyer relayed that due to the direction the staffing discussions have
taken, staff would not recommend moving forward on this vacancy.
6. TO DISCUSS MINUTES OF MEETINGS LAWFULLY CLOSED UNDER THE
OPEN MEETINGS ACT, WHETHER FOR THE PURPOSE OF APPROVAL BY THE
BODY OF THE MINUTES, OR FOR SEMI-ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE MINUTES
AS REQUIRED BY THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT (2C21)
A. Closed Meeting of April 28, 2009
Motion by Trustee Carson, seconded by Trustee Wolin, to approve the Minutes
of the Closed Meeting of April 28, 2009. VOICE VOTE: Motion carried.
B. Closed Meeting of May 19, 2009
Trustee Zannis clarified the section stating “Consensus was to look further into
full time positions elimination by using unpaid interns and senior volunteers”
should be replaced with “Eliminate full-time positions by using part-time
employees. Unpaid interns and senior volunteers would be used as value added
personnel”.
Trustee Zannis clarified the direction to prepare a policy which currently stated
“in the future an employee who would be drawing two pensions would not be
hired” be changed to say “an employee drawing one pension would not be hired
if the Village was obligated to contribute toward a second pension”.
Motion by Trustee Zannis, seconded by Trustee Wolin, to approve the Minutes
of the Closed Meeting of May 19, 2009 as amended by Trustee Zannis. VOICE
VOTE: Motion carried.
C. Closed Meeting of May 26, 2009
Trustee Zannis asked to change the phrase “a few weeks” to “2 – 3 weeks”.
Motion by Trustee Wolin, seconded by Trustee Carson, to approve the Minutes
of the Closed Meeting of May 26, 2009 as amended. VOICE VOTE: Motion
carried.
Village of Oak Brook Closed Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 5 June 9, 2009
7.ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting adjourned at 11:24 p.m.
ATTEST:
______________________________________
Charlotte K. Pruss
Village Clerk
/s/ Charlotte K. Pruss