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A week from today most voters — except those who took advantage of early voting options — will go to the polls to select candidates for local Village, Township and School District offices.
For the position of Village President of Carpentersville, there has been a lot of talk but history only shows action by one single candidate: Bill Sarto.
Sarto is the only candidate who has consistently done what is right for Carpentersville.
Continually looking the other way at crime, unethical behavior and other such abuses, Ed Ritter does not have the ability to do what is right for the people of Carpentersville. He has shown several times that he will shrink back in fear in the face of controversy — not to mention kowtow to Judy Sigwalt and Paul Humpfer.
Jim Krenz also has simply not been there when it has counted and this seems more like a consolation effort to his failed campaign vs Illinois State Representative Tim Schmitz last year.
Dealing with and removing those problematic elements from the Board will only come by the voice of the people in this and the next election — which can start by not electing Ritter and Trustee Kay Teeter.
In contrast, Sarto has shown effectiveness at minimizing the detrimental impact of the Sigwalt/Humpfer/Ritter/Teeter bloc on the Board.
This is recognized even at other levels of government who have asked Sarto to be part of several Board and Committees that have helped bring back money and services to Carpentersville.
Sarto has been good for Carpentersville, launching several efforts that had been sorely needed and requested by the community: fixing streets and sidewalks, bringing festivals and parades back to the Village (which some current Board members said couldn’t be done), and securing funding from county, state and federal grants that have allowed Carpentersville to hold the line on taxes. (By contrast, Ritter, Teeter, Sigwalt and Humpfer were responsible for losing funds for services in the Village.)
Ritter and Krenz only offer to make Village meetings more orderly; something Sarto was praised for actually doing early in his first term.
Carpentersville cannot afford to lose the progress that has been made under Sarto’s leadership in exchange for some promise of polite conversation. We need some one who will not only talk tough, but actually be tough on corruption and dishonesty in government.
Bill Sarto is the only candidate for Village President who will not only do what is right for the People of Carpentersville in the future, but has a proven track record of actually doing it.
Carpentersville has been, and will continue to be, well served by Bill Sarto as Village President.
[Update - 7:50am - Bill Sarto has a posting at his blog that explains more about the good things and progress he has made for the Village. Read it by going to About Carpentersville.]
Thank you for reading and supporting Carpentersville Action Network.
To keep you informed I wanted to let you know what your neighbors and those in and around town were most interested in reading about in the past 7 days:
- Using Village property for whatever suits them
- Endorsement is an insult to community
- Taxpayers paying for Ritter team campaign
- “Carpentersville Cares” supporters refer to African-Americans as monkeys
- Sarto recognized for town’s progress
- Attend hearing on tollway plan
- Voter Information
- Serious questions about Krenz “leadership
- “Remove Humpfer”
- “Cares” is a new name for an old group
Thanks again this week for the email requests and additional information. I’m still working on fact-checking some of those so check back for those posts to go up.
If you have news and information, something you heard that you’d like me to check out about our Village government, or have an idea to fix a problem, click on the link on the left side under “Contact the Network” to send me an email.
As always, have a great weekend.
Yesterday, I alerted readers to probable conflicts with the use of “Carpentersville Cares” as the campaign slogan of Ed Ritter, Kay Teeter, Pat Schultz and Brad McFeggan. The conflict is due to the phrase being established as a mark of service for official Village activities conducted by the Carpentersville Improvement Committee (CIC).
There has been a lot of interest in this particular issue as evidenced by the large number of hits on that article. So, today, I present more information about the CIC, and try to fill-in some of the missing pieces for fellow residents in the community about problematic issues with the CIC.
The idea for the CIC was hatched in mid-2007. When appointments were made to the committee in October 2007, Trustees Ritter, Teeter and Humpfer all tried to get Trustee Sigwalt appointed — so that the committee would comprise Sigwalt, Teeter, and Schultz, along with the 2 other resident members. Enough to establish the bloc that they needed to accomplish their goals, and which, now, seems to have been part of their plan from the start.
The intent of forming this group appears absolutely clear now — to establish this Committee and use it to achieve the agenda of a political group. Sigwalt, Ritter, Teeter, Humpfer, and Schultz appear to have all been complicit in this scheme. In fact, in meeting minutes recorded September 2, 2008, Ed Ritter was already referring to the CIC as the “Carpentersville Cares Committee” — a reference to the phrase now used in his campaign.
As was noted in a previous posting, this group has not come up with solutions for any of the problems which they were formed to address. Instead, they have merely used this group as an extension of the Fox Valley Citizens for Legal Immigration group that they established for the last election.
This is evidenced by Judy Sigwalt’s own admission that she was attributing this Committee’s work to the Fox Valley Citizens for Legal Immigration:
Trustee Sigwalt worked on the CIC project cleaning up yards and did wear her Fox Valley Citizens For Legal Immigration shirt. She distributed flyers to area residents who were aware of what the organization stood for. She discussed the positive feedback the volunteers received from the neighbors and the number of people that have asked for assistance from them.
[Source: Village Board Meeting Minutes, October 7, 2008]
In other words, Trustee Sigwalt was campaigning and politicking while she was supposed to be working as a volunteer on behalf of the Village of Carpentersville, under the direction of the CIC. It is probable that after discovery of Sigwalt and Humpfer having exploited their trustee positions to obtain the use of Village conference rooms for meetings held with the Fox Valley Citizens for Legal Immigration, they suggested the formation of the CIC in an attempt to legitimize any such usage in the future, so they could call it a “volunteer meeting”.
This also explains why greater efforts had not previously been made to involve more members of the community (and why some were even unaware of the existence of the Committee’s “clean-up days”.)
Simply outrageous!! Yet there is more…
The first signs that the CIC put up at the sites they were working on contained the logo/initials for Fox Valley Citizens (FVCLI). These signs were apparently paid for by FVCLI.
Why was a political special interest group like FVCLI allowed to pay for signage and other materials that were for an official Village committee?
After the Oct. 7 Village Board meeting that brought to light several legal and ethical problems with recent CIC activity — and potentially fearing that some may be on to their scheme — the CIC established rules that volunteers not wear clothing that advertised or said things that might be offensive to some. When told that these signs could not be placed on the property, Trustee Humpfer said he gave permission for the signs. (Paul Humpfer is not a member of the CIC, but is a founding member of FVCLI. Furthermore, he had no authority to allow this.)
At the Oct. 22 meeting of the CIC they were directed that state law and local zoning ordinance prohibited them from putting up any signs in the future at the sites they were landscaping.
Putting “Carpentersville Cares” signs in yards of abandoned house where the CIC has made improvements – This cannot be done.
(Cindy [McCammack] later checked and these or similar signs cannot be placed in any residentially zoned area with or without the consent of the property owner. To do so is a violation of the Zoning Ordinance)
And to think that the CIC was actually violating the very Codes that they were supposed to be raising awareness of!
Also at that meeting, ”Carpentersville Cares” t-shirts were unveiled. According to published meeting minutes from previous meetings, nothing with this language had been discussed.
Shirts will have “Carpentersville Cares” on the front.
Shirts were white with red lettering.
“Improvement Committee” will be printed on the back
The “white with red lettering” matches the “Carpentersville Cares” campaign signage of Ritter, Teeter, Schultz and McFeggan. However, other members of the group requested the shirts have “Carpentersville Improvement Committee” and the Village logo on it, in neon with black lettering.
Why was the Chairperson of the Committee attempting to get shirts that would advertise a campaign slogan for her and other members of the slate she was to be a part of?
The CIC, like the Fox Valley Citizen for Legal Immigration before them, was created as a political group to try to get campaign support for this election.
Considering this information, and that Trustees Sigwalt, Humpfer, Ritter and Teeter — plus Schultz and members of the FVCLI — appear to be running this Committee, members of this group should be removed from the Carpentersville Improvement Committee immediately and should be required to pay back the taxpayers any materials and related costs. It should be paid back from donations to their political campaigns because, for all intents and purposes, this should be classified as campaign activity.
In fact, I would encourage other residents to contact the Kane County Clerk, Jack Cunningham, ( Email: elections@co.kane.il.us Address: 719 SOUTH BATAVIA AVENUE, P. O. BOX 70 GENEVA, IL 60134, Phone: 630/232-5990, Fax: 630/232-5870 ) and the Illinois State Board of Elections to investigate these matters as possible campaign violations by members of this group who engaged in election activity while working on behalf of the Village.
Or, you can do the next best thing and not vote for any of those involved. Say “no” to Ed Ritter, Kay Teeter, Pat Schultz and Brad McFeggan.
We have seen that Trustees Sigwalt and Humpfer appear to have no problem using their office to do and use things — like Village property — to which they are not entitled.
So, it is probably no great surprise that those who are part of their group — Ed Ritter, Kay Teeter, Pat Schultz and Brad McFeggan — decided to “borrow” a Village-sanctioned service mark to use as the label for their own political purposes.
The “Carpentersville Cares” slogan became a service mark of the Village of Carpentersville when it was made a brand associated with the Carpentersville Improvement Committee. This is something that Chairperson Pat Schultz — now running for Trustee — should have known and not allowed to be used as a campaign slogan because of the appearance of conflict of interest that it creates.
However, Patricia “Pat” Schultz has allowed other things that she should have known about and not have allowed — including violating Village zoning ordinances and Illinois state statues, when she and other volunteers did unsanctioned work on several properties in the Village while acting in the capacity of the Improvement Committee.
The team of Ritter, Teeter, Schultz and McFeggan seem to be not only foolhardy, but their lack of necessary knowledge and reckless behavior could prove to be downright dangerous for the Village of Carpentersville.
[Read Part 2: Taxpayers paying for Ritter team campaign? for even more information about how this Committee is engaged in campaign activity]
Supporters of the “Carpentersville Cares” team of Ed Ritter, Kay Teeter, Pat Schultz and Brad McFeggan have posted an entry on their blog that refer directly to African-Americans as “monkeys”.
They are apparently trying to draw attention to an incident that occurred last year where Trustee Linda Ramirez Sliwinski was issued a disorderly conduct citation for telling two children to stop climbing in trees like monkeys. The citation was thrown out on Constitutional grounds, particularly because it was clear that Sliwinski’s reference was in no way considered a racial epithet.
Still, supporters of the “Carpentersville Cares” team have continually tried to imply that it was a racist statement. In doing so, they have created entries that actually do call African-American residents “monkeys”.
The most recent posting contains several pictures of monkeys and makes comments such as the following:
Apparently, this an act of revenge after Carpentersville Trustee Linda Ramirez Sliwinski chased monkees out of her neighbor’s tree. After the “chasing those monkees incident,” the family of monkees moved out of the neighborhood.
These monkees only do jobs, that illegal aliens refuse to do. They’re just trying to make a living and raise their families here in Carpentersville.
They pay taxes and enjoy spending their money at local pubs.
None of this is a surprise since the “Carpentersville Cares” team has apparently decided to use their Board and Committee positions to take action against those whom they deem undesirable.
The following is a re-post of an article published November 27, 2007. It was part of a 5-part series titled “The Trouble in Carpentersville”, which aimed to explain who and what was behind the years of turmoil that fractured several Village Boards (no, the problems were there well before the current Village President was elected in 2005). It remains relevant and is good for voters to know as we head into the final few weeks of the 2009 campaign. Worthy of note is that “Sigwalt and Co.” is short-hand for a group that includes candidates in this election: Ed Ritter, Kay Teeter, Pat Schultz and Brad McFeggan.
[[Follow these links to read Introduction, Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5]]
The Board elected in 2005, with 4 new members, didn’t get off on a good foot due to the last minute appointments and 11th-hour approvals that came at the hands of an outgoing Board. There were some bumpy roads caused by more than the crumbling infrastructure in the wake of years of neglect.
Yet by the end of 2005, the papers were congratulating the Board for having found some direction and cohesiveness that hadn’t been seen in years; things were getting done, and they were crediting Sarto with being the key in moving the Village forward and bringing the Board together:
At their last village board meeting of the year, Carpentersville’s leaders Tuesday gave themselves a pat on the back for their newfound cohesion after a history of fractious government.
Comparing Carpentersville and East Dundee as towns heading in opposite directions, the Daily Herald wrote:
Carpentersville’s government, for years notorious for its ugly public spats, has been humming along pleasantly for the past several months.
[...]
Now, board members spend more time thanking each other and laughing at each other’s jokes than debating each other at board meetings. When disputes do arise, they lack the biting tone they once had.
[...]
The turnaround came, according to both Sarto and Humpfer, when the men met to discuss their differences, agreed they needed to compromise, and made shows of good faith.
The eutopia on the Board — with a few disagreements here and there — lasted through the better part of 2006, as well. However, there was still some animosity carried over from the earlier actions of the outgoing Board. Not only was the appointment of Trustee Humpfer without consideration of others for the position both suspect and underhanded, but also the 11th-hour deal on Pulte’s Winchester Glen subdivisions.
The distrust caused some finger-pointing, mostly between Sarto and Sigwalt, and charges of ulterior motives.
Yet, it was Sarto who repeatedly reached out to try to mend fences and bring the Board together to be able to work on the things that needed to be done in Carpentersville.
In July, the Daily Herald commented:
Almost three months after he demanded his political rival resign his appointed trustee seat, Carpentersville Village President Bill Sarto says he will appoint trustee Paul Humpfer, an auditor, to an advisory financial panel. Sarto also plans to appoint former Trustee Nancy Moore’s husband, banker Donald Moore, whose offers to help previously had been rejected.
“We can’t keep fighting,” Humpfer said.
Well, you could – but this is so much better.
[Source: Daily Herald editorial, July 2, 2005]
While Sarto was reaching out though, you could almost sense that it would not be well received by Sigwalt and Co:
New Carpentersville President Bill Sarto named the man who ran against him the chairman of the newly merged audit and finance commission this week. “I think he’s capable of handling this, and hopefully this can heal some of the past wounds,” Sarto said of Paul Humpfer’s appointment. “I’m doing my best to bring this board together to get things done.”
In a town where political strife is constant, the move to mend a deep political schism is downright soothing. Here’s hoping Sarto also brought the Super Glue.
[Source: Daily Herald editorial, July 9, 2005]
“Super Glue”, as would be seen in later months when Sigwalt and Humpfer would continually slap Sarto’s cooperative hand, would have been nice.
Things were and have been getting done in the Village under Sarto. Sigwalt and Co were not getting the press they needed to win re-election … especially when there was a very real possibility that voters would hold them accountable for disregarding the results of the election 2 years earlier by the backdoor appointment of Paul Humpfer. So, in September 2006, with the help of the local media and backed by Sarto’s sometimes fiery penchant for pushing to get things done, they moved on the volatile illegal immigration issue.
Yesterday, the Daily Herald gave its endorsements for the Carpentersville races for President and Trustee (3 open). The majority of their choices should raise red flags with residents. The choices of Ed Ritter, Kay Teeter and Pat Schultz are an insult because these 3 have made several decisions that were opposed to the needs of the community. In choosing to endorse these 3 particular candidates, the Daily Herald Editorial Board has demonstrated they are not on the side of Carpentersville residents.
The choice of Linda Ramirez-Sliwinski is the only one that seems logical. As the only Hispanic member of the Board in a town that is approximately 40% Latino, Ramirez Sliwinski has been a strong, rational advocate and representative for Carpentersville — not merely its Hispanic residents.
However, the other choices are part of a slate that has been consistently troublesome for Village residents. Recent events also provide some of additional examples.
First, there is the decision not to contribute funds to the Ride In Kane program. Trustees Ritter, Teeter, Humpfer and Sigwalt voted against contributing $13,412 to the program (which would have been matched dollar for dollar by a federal grant).
Trustees Paul Humpfer and Judy Sigwalt, evidently speaking for the group, said that contributing funds to this program was “unfair to taxpayers” whose taxes at both the Township and municipal levels would be contributed to the program. (Interestingly, these members of the Board voted contrary to the recommendation of the Audit & Finance Commission; Humpfer and Ritter are on the Commission and dissented.)
Contrast this with another recent decision where they voted in favor of hiking the fees on rental properties by nearly 300%. Surrounding communities don’t charge anything close to the $500 for registration, licensing and inspection of rental properties. The Carpentersville charge is not only for apartments, but also for single family attached and detached homes.
This effects business development in town too, because it discourages investment properties that fill the homes that are presently vacant. Businesses want to locate in bustling communities. Vacant homes have a negative impact on property values, and continue a negative chain of events that become a deterrent to vital improvements and services.
It basically works like a hidden tax. So, on the one hand, they try to make people believe they support taxpayers by not contributing to the Ride in Kane/Dial A Ride which serves the residents of the Village and with the other hand, they increase the cost to live or work in the Village.
In other words, Ritter, Teeter, Humpfer and Sigwalt favor increasing taxes while decreasing services.
Does that sound like a team that “Cares” to you?
So, who is really fighting for the residents of the Village?
Village President Bill Sarto and Trustee Linda Ramirez-Sliwinski.
The Daily Herald tried to say that Sarto has been “a divisive force in the Village”. But, the reality is that Sarto has been under attack since his election in 2005 (before he ever took the oath of Office). You may recall that Sarto’s defeated opponent, Paul Humpfer, was reappointed to the Board after the 2005 election, over and above the objections from residents and business owners in the Village. Humpfer, along with Trustee Sigwalt, gathered a group of residents — that included Pat Schultz, candidate for Trustee — to conspire against Sarto, and interfere with the ability to conduct Village business. All this is well known to everyone, except, apparently the Daily Herald Editorial Board.
I attempted to provide this comment in response to the editorial, but it was removed from the site shortly after being posted:
This is no surprise that the Daily Herald chose Ritter, Teeter and Schultz. But, there are few things that stand out…
First, Sarto didn’t pursue a criminal conviction. Humpfer was convicted, and Sarto rightly decided that a domestic battery (not simple assault, but actual battery … with a weapon no less) was grounds for removal of a Trustee. However, Ritter and Teeter, falling in line behind Sigwalt and Humpfer, voted to change the rules.
Then, the majority of the endorsement simply appears as a rail against Sarto, who has been on the receiving end of some very serious transgressions by some Trustees, starting before he even took office.
This endorsement by the editorial board leaves out crucial facts, and even misdirects those they chose to include. In reality, Ritter will be what he has been, a quiet puppet for a group that does most of their business in the back room, not the Board room. Residents should be grateful to Sarto for making those acts known.
Voters are encouraged to learn the whole truth of who was behind all the dissension on the Board.
There is further evidence right on the Daily Herald site of Sarto being on the receiving end of a constant barrage of attacks from the same group who regularly disrupted Village Board meetings at the probable prompting of Trustees Sigwalt and Humpfer (with the apparent approval of Ritter and Teeter who did nothing about it, and in fact opposed Sarto in trying to stop it). These people created aliases (in some cases multiple aliases) — including some members of the Board and Commissions/Committees — to continue their attacks on Sarto and Sliwinski.
Ramirez-Sliwinski has also found herself a target of the attacks by this group, as seemed to be the case in a citation that was ultimately tossed out as a violation of her constitutional rights.
Additionally, the Daily Herald Editorial Board wants you to believe that those whom they endorsed were responsible for the improvements and progress that have been made in the Village over the past 4 years. Yet the Daily Herald Editorial Board’s fiction doesn’t square with reality.
It was not until Sarto and Sliwinski were voted in that such progress was made, even though Sigwalt and Humpfer had been on the Board prior to the election. It is important to note that Sarto was bringing the Board together, which several sources noted. It was Sarto whom was credited with finally bringing cohesion to the Board, proving that he most certainly can work with anyone who is not trying to rain chaos on Village government.
The Daily Herald Editorial Board must either have a short memory or a hidden agenda to make some of the claims they do in their editorial. Interesting, that the Editorial Board now refers to Ed Ritter as “Sarto’s chief rival on the Board”, an honor that they regularly bestowed on Trustees Humper and Sigwalt, depending on the point they were trying to make. Apparently they are using it to fit their agenda here too.
Yes, I know that I have written much here and it can be a lot to digest, but I feel that the people of Carpentersville deserve such level of detail, in order to be able to weigh the evidence for what is being claimed. This blog is filled with articles that are backed with much evidence, from Board and Committee Meeting Minutes, news stories, and credible and verifiable information from websites. I hope you will notice a quality to the writing and information provided that distinguishes this site from others that are only interested in using it as a forum to continue their attack on Sarto and Sliwinski.
The time has come to stand up and show these people that you will not sit quietly and let a certain segment of the Board, and a certain element of the community, control what happens in Carpentersville. Use your vote on April 7th to send a message to those who have wreaked havoc on this community; to Judy Sigwalt, Paul Humpfer, Ed Ritter, Kay Teeter and Pat Schultz. Say “No” to their brand of divisive politics. Let them know that you are mad as hell and are not going to take it any more.
Support Sarto and Ramirez-Sliwinski. And choose two additional Trustees from the group of Debra Lowen, Joe Haimann, or Ken Andresen.
With Ritter and Teeter out, and the addition of Andresen, Haimann and/or Lowen — who are also ready and able to serve – Sarto and Sliwinski will no longer have to fight through the divisiveness, allowing them to work better and faster for the residents of the Village.
CARPENTERSVILLE – Five villages in the Dundee-Crown High School area will partner with D300 this Sunday afternoon to welcome home the DCHS Boys Basketball Team from the state tournament.
Police from Algonquin, Carpentersville, East Dundee, Sleepy Hollow, and West Dundee will participate in an “Official Escort” of the team bus en route to Dundee-Crown High School. The Carpentersville Fire Department will also join this celebration.
The Official Escort will start at approximately 2 p.m. along Route 72 in Sleepy Hollow. The route will continue east on Route 72 through downtown Dundee, turn north on Route 25, west on Route 62 into Algonquin, south on Route 31, east on Huntley/Main into Old Town Carpentersville, and veer around the north side of Carpenter Park before eventually ending in the school parking lot. Fans are welcome to stand along the Carpentersville Bridge or in Carpenter Park. Pom dancers and “Super Fans” from Dundee-Crown will be in Carpenter Park to cheer on the team as the bus passes.
The Dundee-Crown team is headed to the Final Four this Friday evening (March 20) in Peoria, playing games both Friday and Saturday to determine their ultimate placement in history. Regardless of the outcome, the team and Coach Lance Huber have already broken records, baffled odds-makers, and stirred an intense pride in DCHS fans of all ages. Never before has Dundee-Crown been to the IHSA state finals for boys basketball. Never before has any boys basketball team from the Fox Valley Conference gone this far, for that matter. The last time the community saw this level of excellence well preceded the merger of Dundee and Crown High Schools, with Dundee High School taking third in state in 1946 after winning the state title in 1938.
The idea for the Official Escort came from Carpentersville Village Hall, with Carpentersville officials contacting the District 300 Department of Communication Services on Wednesday as news of DCHS’s historic trip to the state finals swept across the region. D300 Administration and DCHS school officials collaborated closely with police, fire, and municipal officials to make Carpentersville’s vision for its hometown team become a reality.
Dundee-Crown’s boys basketball team advanced to the State tournament.
Way to go, guys!
Good luck at State!
The Courier-News reported on last night’s candidates forum sponsored by the Committee of Clergy in Carpentersville.
The answers by the candidates for Village President were very similar to those raised on last week’s WRMN radio show, Politics & Issues.
The inadequacy of Ed Ritter (and the rest of the “Carpentersville Cares” ticket) has been well covered, so there is no need to go over it again. Ritter and the “Cares” team have nothing to offer the residents of Carpentersville.
But, what about Jim Krenz? There has been mention of him in articles and at these forums, but there has been little presented about what he stands for or what he would do for the people of Carpentersville.
In the Courier article, he is quoted as saying he “chose not to stand by as the antics and mismanagement of a few bring our village to a standstill”.
Now, first of all, things have hardly been at a “standstill”. In spite of the best efforts of a segment of Trustees, things have moved forward in the Village.
But where was Krenz when all this “Trouble in Carpentersville” was going on? He has not spoken at a Board meeting, and — to my knowledge — hasn’t written even a Letter to the Editor opposing the “antics and mismanagement of a few”.
If Jim Krenz had the ability to lead that he says he does, why did he not rally people to put a stop to these “antics” when they were occurring? It seems that reality doesn’t match his rhetoric.
President Bill Sarto, on the other hand, has shown a record of opposing these “antics”, even when there was a calculated effort by some members on the Board to create chaos and stop Village business.
What would Krenz have done differently?
Ed Ritter answered saying that he would “work collaboratively with each other to ’solve problems in a diplomatic and functional way’. However, Ritter, and other Trustees he has aligned himself with, shunned the idea of such collaborative sessions to work through differences when it was suggested, and Sarto supported the idea. Therefore, while it may sound good, it becomes just campaign rhetoric because Ritter had the opportunity to do just that and didn’t.
Krenz made similar comments about “order and respect”. Yet he has not offered any opinion on how he would work differently in the situation that Sarto found himself in — a bloc of Trustees conspiring to create havoc.
How would Krenz have dealt with Trustees and Commission members’ violation(s) of the Illinois Open Meetings Act? How would he have dealt with meetings that were held at Village conference rooms at a Westside Fire Station intended for planning to disrupt Board meetings? How would he handle those who purposefully lied to Village staff about those meetings? How would he have dealt with a situation where a defeated opponent was appointed to a Trustee seat? How would he have dealt with a bloc of Trustees that did not want to remove a Trustee after a criminal conviction?
How would Krenz handle a segment of the Board that conspired to undermine any action he took from the very moment he was elected?
These are serious questions that Krenz needs to answer in order to prove that he could truly “lead by example” in a manner of “order and respect”.
In the campaign world, it’s easy to make it sound all nice and cheery … but the real world doesn’t work that way. Mr. Krenz’s “lead by example” answer just doesn’t get the job done when there is real, disciplinary action and penalties that are needed. “Respect” is not something this behavior deserves — it is that “respect” that past administrations have shown which allowed the Village to get into the mess it did BEFORE Sarto was elected.
Would Mr. Krenz take this Village back to the days of “respect” that ultimately led to things falling apart? If he would show “respect” to criminal and unethical behavior that has sought to hold Carpentersville captive, then I would have to say “yes, he would”.
Frankly, Carpentersville cannot afford to go back to those “dark days”, Mr. Krenz.
Fire Chief John Schuldt is warning Carpentersville residents that a phony fundraiser is not connected to the Fire Department after several residents reported receiving suspicious calls asking for donations to support local fire fighters.
If any resident has concerns or questions, they should contact Schuldt at (847) 426-2131.
Thank you for reading and supporting Carpentersville Action Network.
To keep you informed I wanted to let you know what your neighbors and those in and around town were most interested in reading about in the past 7 days:
- Vote for those who truly care
- Attend hearing on tollway plan
- Vote for those that truly serve residents
- Candidates discuss issues on radio show
- Respect?
- Group gets a failing grade
- Unethical, unlawful acts demand disrespect
- “Cares” team has history of broken promises
- Sigwalt gives minions her public endorsement
- The Murder of Carpentersville
See you next week, and be sure to check back Monday for a feature posting.
Fox Valley Citizens for Legal Immigration seems to have gotten a makeover. Good news for immigrants?
Find out more Monday on Carpentersville Action Network.
This morning on WRMN1410’s radio show, Politics & Issues, candidates for President of the Village of Carpentersville talked about issues, their reasons for running, and their plans to lead the Village.
The approximately 30-minute segment did not contain any glaring revelations about any of the candidates, as they stuck mainly to the issues they’ve already discussed and put forth on their campaign sites and literature.
After opening statements from each of the candidates, host Tom Sandor, first tossed up a question about why each candidate was running and why voters should vote for them.
Ed Ritter reiterated his campaign platform to bring a new leadership style.Jim Krenz did the same, promoting his position as a Carpentersville business owner. Bill Sarto presented the numerous items that have been accomplished during the last 4 years — also a recurring theme in Sarto’s answers.
Next, Sandor asked how each candidate interpreted the role of Village President.
All 3 candidates were in basic agreement in their answers, although Ritter added that the President was a “cheerleader”.
Things heated up briefly – but remained civil – when Sandor asked about the controversies that have occurred in the last 4 years. Sarto discussed several of the actions by Board members to undermine the ability to conduct Village business (which have been documented on this site). Ritter tried to distance himself from those actions, and Krenz seemed the odd man out in the exchange.
When the issue of meetings between some Trustees and a small group of residents was brought up, Ritter stated that he did not know if the involvement of 4 members of the Audit & Finance Commission in discussing policy was an Open Meetings Act violation. [ed. Trustee Ritter should read the Act (5 ILCS 120), which I will post relevant portions of in the comments.]
For the remainder of the time, the candidates talked about what they perceived to be the issues most important to Carpentersville residents.
Krenz said streets, vacant homes, and the collective services of police, fire and public works. Sarto said vacant homes and rebuilding streets and infrastructure, and crime. Ritter said streets, crime and business (including filling the industrial park on Rt 31), though housing is also an issue.
In their closing statement, Ritter again highlighted leadership style, that he’s worked with teams and that he thought Carpentersville could again be the best in Kane County, as they were in the days of Meadowdale Mall and the “international raceway”.
Krenz highlighted his experience, passion and planning that he says will make Carpentersville a place to be proud of.
Sarto closed by emphasizing the results produced in the last 4 years vs the talk. Carpentersville is in a better position than most surrounding towns, not having to raise taxes or lay off staff during the tough economic period. He said he has shown the ability to get things done, “things that had not been addressed in decades”, and intends to continue to build on that.
I was driving when I was listening to this, so I could not take extensive notes and have written this as soon after the program aired as I could.
There were some specific moments that I recall from the segment:
Ritter stated that there were Board planning sessions that occurred in the first year of his term, “but that stopped when the Illegal Immigration issue was brought up”. That is quite an admission of how the Illegal Immigration at the hands of Sigwalt and Humpfer, was responsible for interfering with the ability of the Board to effectively do its job.
Sarto’s statements on the Village’s finances was appropriate considering its improved state. He credited staff for their significant role in holding the line on spending, and noted the significant amount of outside money — particularly 25% of the total allocation from the Community Development Block Grant ($400,000 of $1.6million) — that he has helped bring into the Village.
As much as Trustee Ritter tried to say he was not part of the camp that led the controversies on the Board, he also did nothing to see that it was ended. Even in the segment, he defended Trustee Humpfer’s position on the Board — first getting the position in what smells very much like “pay to play” (since Humpfer received an appointment to the Trustee position shortly after working on Village finances without a contract, directive or payment), getting reappointed to a position after losing to Sarto in the 2005 election (which would have put Humpfer off the Board), and then being retained by a majority vote that included Ritter, after conviction of four counts of domestic battery. Ritter also did not question (and appeared to defend in the segment) the improper use of Village meeting rooms by Humpfer (and Sigwalt), which the Village Manager put an end to after discovering that they lied about the pupose of the meetings at a west side fire station. The actual purpose of the meetings was not a permitted use.
These are the kinds of acts which Sarto has rightly shown intolerance. Ritter and Krenz have said that they would return “respect”; but, as commenter “At a Glance” posted yesterday: “Someone needs to stand up and fight for us and if you say Krenz would be less confrontational, then he is not the person for the job!!!!” That would go equally for Ritter.
The following is a Guest Post from Billita Jacobsen.
Speak up now or forever hold your complaining about the proposed four lane toll way through Carpentersville. Artfully named the “Longmeadow Parkway Corridor” this monstrosity will create more traffic in our village, decrease property values, and steal more businesses while destroying the most scenic view along the Fox River. The plan has always been intended to create a corridor to Algonquin’s Randall Road shopping centers and, at the same time, solve Algonquin’s traffic problems.
If officials in Carpentersville, West Dundee, and East Dundee would have a forward-looking brain among them, they would see that this project will only hurt our area. We’ve already lost a lot of business to Algonquin’s Randall Road 1,000 acres shopping corridor. This toll way will be the final nail in the coffin.
So, taxpayers, you are funding a public hearing March 26th at the Randall Oaks Golf Club (4101 Binnie Road, off Randall) from 4-8 p.m. If you are against a toll way plowing through Carpentersville, please attend and speak out about it. The Kane County Dept. of Transportation is providing a court reporter to take down comments about the “proposed” project. Of course, this is what’s known as a “done deal.” The problem is, residents of Carpentersville are the ones being done in.
The toll way will carry four lanes of traffic from Route 62, cross Route 25, go along Bolz Road, cross the river and continue to Huntley Road. Has anyone taken a look at Bolz Road and noticed how close this toll way will be to homes? Is anyone aware of where they will be able to get on and off this toll way? What will happen if the tolls collected don’t pay for the building of this Carpentersville bypass? Are any efforts being made to minimize the noise residents will suffer from as cars and trucks whiz by their homes? Is anyone concerned that property values will plummet (even more than they already have)?
Maps will be on display March 26th, as well as propaganda about the “purpose and need” for this toll system. Educate yourself and start telling officials you don’t want a toll way through Carpentersville. A simple, local, two-lane bridge (from Route 25 to Route 31) will suffice. This is an especially good time to speak out, with local elections coming up. I know Bill Sarto supports the toll way. He believes it will bring business to Carpentersville but in reality, it will do the opposite. [ed. This was stricken as Bill Sarto provided a comment that clarified that he opposes this tollway and supports a local bridge option.] I don’t know where the other candidates stand on the issue. I would love to hear one of them oppose this ridiculous plan–so I’d know who to vote for.
Billita Jacobsen
Foxpathorg@aol.com
Yesterday’s Daily Herald reported that West Dundee was looking to ensure there was room in their budget to support the “Ride In Kane” program.
The township earlier this year asked village boards in Carpentersville, East Dundee, West Dundee and Sleepy Hollow to contribute a total of $58,000 to help the township match a $90,000 federal transportation grant. A $32,000 subsidy through the Regional Transportation Authority helped offset part of the match.
So far, East Dundee and Sleepy Hollow have agreed to contribute to the program. Meanwhile, a slim majority of the Carpentersville village board denied a request for $13,412…
Based on the report that West Dundee had already included their share in the 2009-10 budget, which they will look at in their March 21st budget meeting, Carpentersville will likely be the only Dundee Township member not contributing to the plan, letting at least $13,412 of federal funds that could have served Carpentersville be reallocated to some other community.
I believe the following discussion about this matter may be helpful to residents in understanding this issue, and being knowledgeable about the ideas represented by some running for Village Board in the April election; namely Ed Ritter, Kay Teeter, Pat Schultz and Brad McFeggan, who are aligned with Trustee Judy Sigwalt. (Ritter, Teeter, Sigwalt and Humpfer voted against funding “Ride In Kane”, thus rejecting federal tax dollars that would benefit Carpentersville residents.)
A person using the alias, woningkammer, (who is likely a Village board member or has close ties to a certain bloc of the Board) made complaints about the cost of such services.
I had this to say:
So Ritter, Teeter, Sigwalt and Humpfer voted AGAINST nearly $27,000 ($13,412 + 13,412 in matching funds = $26,824) to help fund a program that serves seniors, disabled and needy residents … ?!
woningkammer (and the group he/she supports) SAYS they SERVE, but then condemns programs intended to SERVE. “Seniors? the disabled? the needy? Find your own way!” (They chose to build about 150 yards of sidewalk instead.)
“Seniors, low-income and disabled residents benefit from this program,” [West Dundee] Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said before the meeting. “In these tough economic times, these are the types of programs that we need to maintain.”
Absolutely! With tight budgets everywhere, who in their right mind would vote to NOT accept money for services in their community?
[Amazing that] even with a current campaign slogan, they show they DON’T CARE. No wonder residents don’t believe these people.
woningkammer responded, claiming that I was for “wasteful spending” by supporting such programs, and that “Ride In Kane” was a redundant program which could be handled by NETSPAP and taxis.
I followed up with the following information and comments:
It is sad that you consider services provided to seniors, disabled and low-income residents to be “waste”. Further, it is obvious that you don’t understand how multi-agency funding helps make important social programs affordable. And you think I am the one in need of education…?!
NETSPAP serves one particular segment of the community [those who qualify that need a ride to a doctor appointment]. “Ride in Kane”, and other transportation services under the same umbrella, extend services to persons for reasons that would not be covered by NETSPAP [such as transportation to work or local grocery and retail stores for those who are disabled, senior or low-income citizens that also may not be accessible by means such as regular PACE bus routes].
Funding of this sort is a waterfall, with portions coming from several levels of government. The funding that was voted against by such short-sighted nincompoops was also a rejection of MATCHING FEDERAL FUNDS — federal tax dollars being returned to the local community. It gets returned through those ” multiple … budget line items”.
“One elected to office” SERVES EFFECTIVELY by also doing what is necessary to get, keep and use tax dollars in their community. To let them go elsewhere is WASTEFUL; waste that will ultimately increase our tax liability, not to mention put strains on other agencies, both public and private. (Yes, you are saying it should be eliminated by calling it “wasteful”. Do you expect us to believe you want to keep a service you think “wasteful”?)
Make your stand against waste somewhere else, instead of against senior, disabled and low-income citizens.
President Bill Sarto will give a State of the Village address to the Board, staff, residents and business owners tonight, March 10th, at 6:30pm in the Village Hall Board Room.
This event is open to the public. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Yesterday’s post was one which I also posted on the Daily Herald web site. It prompted a few comments from the usual suspects (with the relevant portions quoted here):
RCG: If Sarto gets re-elected it would Guaranty[sic] of more of the same which include loud disruptive board meetings, disrespectful comments to the residents.
woningkammer: Time after time, as board President, his Napoleon complex has been put on display when he interrupts some people during public comments – against his own rules!. Time after time he rules to allow disorderly conduct during public comments as long as the person at the podium is complimentary to the actions of the President.
Who headed the audit and finance committee that resulted in the first clean audits? Who first documented how Carpentersville could fund a road improvement program? It was NOT Sarto, who did however start a rumor to demolish private property!
Voters will determine if the current Board President is replaced by [...] someone who has displayed a consistent voice of reason while SERVING the residents.
[To which I respond:]
Richard, you neglect to mention that Sigwalt and Humpfer, with Ritter and Teeter backing them, met improperly with a group of residents to conspire on how to disrupt Village Board meetings – they met privately to PLAN to DISRUPT MEETINGS for the reason I mention above.
woningkammer obviously does not know the role or rules related to the office of Village President (just like Trustee Ritter who calls the President “just another member on the Board”, proving he doesn’t know the Municipal Code — which (Pay attention Trustee Ritter, especially since you are running for this office…) gives the President specific duties and powers not given to Trustees, particularly that of “chief executive officer” of the Village, see Section 2.8.020). The Code allows — in fact, requires — the President to stop a resident during public comment who is not addressing a matter of Village business [see Section 2.14.150, C & E]. Sigwalt, Humpfer, Ritter and Teeter are on record more than once voting to overrule the ruling of the President to allow their friends to disrupt meetings by talking ad nauseum about a topic that they were unwilling to discuss. Proof that they slowed progress and disrupted Village business.
(In light of these actions that allowed their group to berate the President, there were occasions that the President allowed residents to be critical of those Trustees. I don’t agree that it is right. However, given the Trustees’ acceptance of violations of Rules of Decorum, I do not think it appropriate to allow them to invoke it when they find themselves under such scrutiny.)
Clean audits? Why were the finances allowed to get so in a mess that it took 4 years(!) to put an end to “no opinion” audits? That is unheard of ANYWHERE. The reality is the Board at the time didn’t take it serious enough — and some still don’t!
I’m surprised [woningkammer] brings up the demolition of the burned out William St property since it took residents questioning it and Sarto looking into it to get it gone. Anyone who is really SERVING the RESIDENTS would have supported their calls — as Sarto did — for getting it torn down.
And there were many on the Board who thought the residents could wait longer for their streets and sidewalks to be restored/rebuilt. After years of neglect, Sarto knew it needed to get done.
Trustee Ritter likes to think of himself as a “voice of reason”, but that “voice of reason” came pretty willingly over to the Sigwalt camp, regularly supporting those who would violate the rules of the Board and laws of the Village and State. Most of the time Ritter and Teeter just sat there without saying anything, until it was time to vote, and then they voted on the wrong side.
How is it that someone would argue about “disorderly conduct” while ignoring domestic battery, Open Meetings Act violations and misuse of Village property (even mentioned in this paper)? Someone who wanted to be taken seriously would condemn unethical and unlawful behavior instead of saying it deserves respect and courtesy.
Carpentersville has been able to accomplish much to serve the residents since Sarto became Village President. Before Sarto everything was left to crumble, including the finances, while people on the Board served themselves. They flaunted their power, and demanded to be recognized for their position.
When Sarto was elected, he brought to the Board the responsibility to SERVE the RESIDENTS. And, he led the Board to do just that getting them to finally address — after decades in some cases — things that were long overlooked or ignored.
He DID bring the Board together. But former trustee Nancy Moore and Trustee Judy Sigwalt didn’t like that. Moore was quoted in this paper saying that the Board was too agreeable, because things were moving ahead and moving swiftly. It didn’t bode well for Sigwalt’s re-election in 2007. So, they created conflict … to try to slow progress and take the spotlight off how neglectful they’d been.
They were finally successful at something, with the help of Ritter, Teeter and Schultz. They served themselves, Sigwalt and an extremist wing of the Dundee Township Republican Party. They were successful at further blackening Carpentersville’s eye.
Still, Sarto worked to continue to get things done. He led with ideas that they followed. They had no serious ideas of their own; Sigwalt’s contribution being the suggestion of an Indian casino. Had Sigwalt, Humpfer, Ritter and Teeter not been on the Board (using illegal immigration nonsense for nearly 2 years), you can be sure that Sarto would have been able to do much more to SERVE ALL the RESIDENTS.
That is why Sarto needs to be re-elected, and those whose only accomplishments were to interfere with Village business, to slow progress, and TAKE AWAY SERVICES from residents, need to be moved out of the way. Only then will Carpentersville finally be able to shine.
Vote for those who will SERVE and TRULY CARE about Carpentersville; those who believe caring is more than a campaign slogan.
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