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Activist who targeted Amrich out as IT vendor in Island Lake

The consultant who oversaw Island Lake village hall’s computer system, and who tried to derail Charles Amrich’s mayoral bid, has been fired, officials confirmed.

Island Lake officials will host a special meeting Thursday to discuss hiring a new consultant to replace Daniel Field and his Kodiak Technology Group, officials said.

When asked about Field’s firing this week, Amrich told the Daily Herald the decision wasn’t political. But the new mayor wouldn’t elaborate.

“That’s really not the reason and I don’t care to say what it is,” Amrich told the Daily Herald.

Field garnered publicity during the recent political campaign for teaming with ex-trustee Louis Sharp in an unsuccessful effort to remove Amrich from the ballot.

Amrich’s candidacy was ruled ineligible by a local electoral board but a Lake County judge said he could run. Field and Sharp have appealed to the state Supreme Court.

Field also created a political website during the campaign that attacked Amrich and several of Amrich’s allies and supporters.

Amrich stayed on the ballot and defeated incumbent Mayor Debbie Herrmann with approximately 79 percent of the vote.

Field also tried to keep a citizen-created advisory referendum off the November 2012 ballot in Island Lake. He withdrew his complaint before it could be considered by an electoral board.

Trustee Shannon Fox, who supported Herrmann in the election, said the former mayor had terminated the village’s contract with Kodiak a few weeks ago, giving Field a 30-day notice. Amrich eliminated that window last week after taking office, Fox said.

Field said he expected to be let go.

“I was surprised that he terminated (the contract) without having a new company officially in place,” Field said in an email.

The agenda for Thursday’s meeting identifies the proposed new vendor as Adam Bonnifer. Amrich said he had no information about Bonnifer’s qualifications but said he served in the same capacity under former Mayor Thomas Hyde in the 2000s.

With no one overseeing the town’s information-technology system, some computer problems have arisen in recent days, particularly at the police department, officials said.

Those problems have been resolved, Amrich said.

Fox said she was disappointed the feud between Amrich and Field affected village services.

The special board meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. at village hall, 3720 Greenleaf Ave.

The board also will discuss unspecified changes to the municipal code, according to the agenda for the session. It also will go into a closed-door meeting to discuss unspecified legal and personnel matters.

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Daniel Field
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