Making the routine … difficult

Who would have thought appointments to a committee (an ad hoc committee, at that) would be so difficult for a Village Board? Ah, but this is Carpentersville after all, where even the routine will be made difficult.

At their July 17th meeting, the Board voted for the creation of an ad hoc committee to work out details of the Carpentersville Improvement Committee, consisting of 3 residents and 2 trustees.

Sarto introduced his choices for appointments to the CIC by stating that he had put this group together as a team whose skills well complimented each other and would put forward a diverse and well-balanced “face” to the residents of Carpentersville. It was well-stated introduction that reflected how and why teams are built and chosen.

Four trustees were determined to inject political spite into the discussion — a discussion that went on for over an hour. Their comments wreaked of no-confidence in the abilities of the five members to make up the committee, and showed a great disrespect to the residents and trustees that were to make up this committee.

Trustee Ritter began by stating: “You point out that this is a team, but your team is a player short.” Sarto, however, had listed 5 appointees, as the Board had previously approved (in fact, it was Ritter who made the motion and Sigwalt who had seconded). Attorney Rhodes confirmed the minutes, motion and vote taken to the Trustees. Thus, in order for the team to be “a player short” would mean that a member of the team was not right for the job.

Why does this Board continue to attack its members? Why do they think so little of the abilities of Trustees Teeter and Ramirez Sliwinski, not to mention the residents who were also chosen to be appointed?

In fact, based on their statements, why do we need a committee at all? From the way the others made it sound, Trustee Sigwalt has all the experience — and the only experience — that is needed.

Still, why did they chose to throw Teeter under the bus? It should have been obvious to them that Ramirez Sliwinski, being the only Hispanic on the Board, would have been chosen so, at issue was really Sigwalt vs Teeter. Oh, they planned it out ahead of time to make it appear that they supported Teeter, but it was so thinly veiled as to be obvious they supported Sigwalt over Teeter.

I thought they were attacking Sarto (and I think they thought that too), but their antics and argumentation really were a slap in the face to Trustee Teeter. Why do they think she can’t do the job? The lack of respect for her capabilities and experience should really come as a shock to someone who has been there to support their often ill-advised agendas.

And, what about Sigwalt’s statement that she is the only one who is not a member of a committee? Well, earlier this year, though she was going to be made a member of the the Audit & Finance Commission, she declined the appointment. So, she does not sit on a committee by her own choosing.

This was not “Sigwalt’s baby” as it was put in the discussion. Trustee Sigwalt originally touted this as something akin to a “code patrol”. This was the direction of the initial discussions until resident Pat Schultz clarified for the Board that the committee to be formed would be primarily directed toward education. (Schultz was one of the residents appointed to the ad hoc committee last night). Further, as Trustee Humpfer noted, this was a recommendation of the Comprehensive Plan, not specifically of the Board.

In the end, after all the arguments for Sigwalt to be on the committee over Teeter, the Board unanimously approved Sarto’s appointments, leaving one to wonder what all the fuss was about. To be honest, it was an embarrassment to see the Trustees behave this way. It is long past time for them to put aside their spite and get to work.