New year, same issues in Campton Hills
It's a new year but the same controversy remains in Campton Hills.
Trustees will meet Tuesday to again order Village President Patsy Smith to give the village administrator full access to her work computer and facilities at village hall.
Smith also is trying to veto the board's extension of police Chief Daniel Hoffman's contract through May and wants Trustee Al Lenkaitis removed, saying he has moved out of the village.
Smith deferred questions Monday to village attorney William Braithwaite, who could not immediately be reached for comment.
Smith is seeking to have Lenkaitis removed as trustee, arguing he has moved his family to downstate Eldorado, even though he has been participating in meetings via phone for the last month and a half.
"The moving truck emptied out the rest of his house Saturday," said Trustee Jim Kopec, noting Lenkaitis has enrolled his kids in school there as well. "It's clear they're not living in the village."
Trustee Harry Blecker disagreed, saying Lenkaitis still owns property in the village and is still a registered voter in Campton Hills.
"The only person who can remove Mr. Lenkaitis as a trustee is a judge," Blecker said.
Lenkaitis' term ends in spring 2017; if removed, Smith will appoint a trustee to serve until then. He could not be reached for comment Monday.
The board will consider a resolution Tuesday that is nearly a carbon copy of one passed last month, ordering Smith to restore Jennifer Johnsen's access to her computer and to stop interfering with her duties.
Smith put Johnsen, the village's first administrator, on leave in November for performance issues and pending an investigation by the Illinois attorney general's office for a possible Open Meetings Act Violation.
"Jennifer doesn't have everything we requested," Blecker said. "We want this done and we want it done now."
The board voted in December to reinstate Johnsen.
Also in the last month, Smith moved to let Hoffmans' contract expire on Dec. 27, 2014, and to appoint Sgt. Bob Reichardt as chief.
Hoffman reported for work without incident Dec. 29; he could not be reached for comment Monday.
At the meeting, Smith also seeks to veto the board's vote to extend Hoffman's contract.