To help Shorewood officials in focusing on the business of the board, Mayor Rick Chapman took steps at an Aug. 22 meeting to address the legal findings from the fuel pump probe.
The matter first took center stage at a village board meeting held after the April 4 election.
“I apologize to past board members and to these board members for anything that was said that accused them of not doing their job,” he said. “That’s not true. There was no way to see anything like that in written reports, and it was unfair that they were told they didn’t do their jobs right.”
Chapman wanted it to be clear that “the buck stops here.”
“I used the wrong procedure, and in doing so, I apologize for that,” he said.
Trustee Daniel Anderson asked that the board seek $500 in compensation from the mayor to resolve the matter and leave it at that.
Trustee Daniel Warren agreed.
“We need to move on,” he said.
The independent investigator’s report suggested that Chapman extend apologies to the village administrator, staff and the public, issue payment in the amount of $2,252.98 to the village and put the matter to a vote of censure to allow the board to document his actions formally.
Trustee Clarence “CC” DeBold wanted the board to follow the attorney’s five-part set of recommendations.
“I agree that the mayor did use some of that for village business,” he said. “I know the original opinion from the attorney was reduced from 30 percent to 40 percent.”
DeBold suggested that officials knock off 50 percent.
Chapman said that would be “OK” with him.
Officials clash over creation of committee for community center
After the board’s decision to establish a committee for a community center, Trustee Daniel Anderson called into question the village’s direction.
“I guess I’m little confused on which way we needed to go with different things around here,” he said. “Are we going to g with a community center? Are we going to do a public works facility? Or, are we going to do a police station?”
Anderson wanted the board to consider the village’s needs.
“I’d like to have a prioritized list of what this town needs,” he said.
Chapman said the committee’s work is meant to gauge the community’s interest and inform the board.
Trustee Anthony Luciano questioned if the board should be looking into constructing a new public works facility.
Chapman said the community center has been an idea for 25 years and he wanted to know what’s wrong with forming a committee for the community center and said they have no authority to make decisions.
“We need something in town here that these kids and just the regular citizens can go to in the winter time,” he said. “When the weather goes bad, they’ve got no place to go but out of town.”
Luciano questioned why the board was never informed the mayor was thinking of forming the committee to begin with.
Trustee Barbara “Cookie” Kirkland asked that the board be involved in such decisions moving forward.
Chapman said the board was informed and he intends to pull minutes as proof at their next meeting.
Anderson said he thinks the committee will be “helpful,” but he thinks a needs study is warranted, as well.
The board came to a consensus that they need to gather information to determine the community’s needs.
Appointment of village clerk approved
Also at the meeting, Shorewood’s Diane Lambert was appointed to serve as village clerk.
Lambert said she looks forward to working with the board.
“I think it’s in my [realm] of what I do at work as far as looking over ordinances and stuff like that and getting them all prepared for yourselves to look at,” she said. “I’ve done a lot with covenants and restrictions for subdivisions that my husband has developed, so it’s kind of in my work skillset. I hope I do a good job for you.”
Lambert currently works as a real estate broker for Coldwell Banker in Shorewood.