Another resignation on airport board

Just weeks after the chairman announced his resignation from the Chicago Executive Airport board, the vice-chairman is following suit.

L. James Wylie sent a letter to acting Prospect Heights Mayor Pat Ludvigsen Tuesday with the decision.

"Some of (the reasons) are personal, but I'm sure it's also in relation with the frustration in dealing with some of the other board members," Ludvigsen said.

Kevin Dohm, the chairman of the board for the airport formerly known as Palwaukee, resigned Sept. 13 after David Kolssak, the treasurer, called for it in August. Kolssak included Wylie in the same criticism, although he did not ask for his resignation.

Kolssak and Wheeling officials said Dohm went beyond his bounds to hire a consultant, John P. Kennedy of Airport Corp. of America, without board approval.

"Whatever the consultant was doing, we don't know what it was," Kolssak said.

Kolssak said Dohm also went beyond his role as is outlined by an Intergovernmental Agreement between Wheeling and Prospect Heights.

The towns co-own the airport, and the board consists of two members assigned by Wheeling and two assigned by Prospect Heights, as well as the respective city managers.

Dohm resigned a day before Prospect Heights Mayor Rodney Pace announced that he was also leaving office. Wheeling Village President Greg Klatecki had also stepped down from his job earlier this year. Both cited medical problems.

"There has been a lot of disagreement with Wheeling most recently, and (Wylie) would have gotten frustrated and felt that it was a difficult group to work with," Ludvigsen said.

Ludvigsen calls Kolssak's words a political move that were unfounded. He said he's never seen any evidence to support wrongdoing on Dohm and Wylie's parts.

"Hopefully we can move past that," he said. "I think it's more for Wheeling right now to try and mend that bridge."

Wheeling Village Manager Mark Rooney, who is also on the airport board, said he's not surprised by Wylie's resignation and is happy to see him go.

"It's not a sad day for me to see his departure other than the fact that he escapes answering the question of what he knew and what he was up to with using John Kennedy," Rooney said. "I think he and I have not been on the same page for quite some time."

Judy Abruscato, the interim Wheeling village president, said she hadn't heard of Wylie's decision and was shocked by it.

She said she was dismayed by the discord on the board but felt that it was time to move on.

Wylie, who could not be reached for comment, will stay on the board until Oct. 12; Ludvigsen said he expects to have a replacement lined up in time for the Oct. 15 Prospect Heights city council meeting.

While he did not want to name the replacement, he said that person is "very familiar with the airport and our city. This is not a new person to this."

Ludvigsen and Abruscato are also meeting on Monday to discuss the open chairman position. Both must pick a replacement together for that job.