Settle differences behind closed doors, expert tells village board

Could talks behind closed doors, away from cameras, the media and the public eye, help Carpentersville trustees iron out hostilities and bury acrimonious feelings once and for all?

A public administration expert says yes.

Village officials on Monday said Gerald Gabris, a professor in the public administration division at Northern Illinois University, suggested trustees meet in executive session to address problems among the seven-member board.

Gabris, who made the suggestion at the village's strategic planning session on Saturday, would not comment Monday.

"We argue over petty stuff and we need to start being more efficient in handling matters that should be relatively routine," Village President Bill Sarto said. "Things need to be minimalized so everything is not an argument and contentious."

Village Manager Craig Anderson said an exception to the state's Open Meetings Act would allow the board to meet in closed session to deal with matters of self-evaluation, practices and procedures or professional ethics.

If the village board does schedule such a meeting, Anderson said a representative of the Illinois Municipal League must be present to comply with the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

"We need to look at the board dynamics and deal with how board members work together," Anderson said. "This is a route for the board to go if they are interested in doing that."

Sarto said he would support any effort to "get the board to the point of functioning better."

"Some of the discussions we have are like little kids fighting with each other," Sarto said. "It is embarrassing. I would prefer we weren't doing these things. It shouldn't be aired on Comcast, in front of the media, or in front of the public."

But not all trustees are convinced the special meeting will solve the board's problems.

"I think some things will be said that people will not want to hear," Trustee Paul Humpfer said. "There are differences in opinions on the board and I don't think they are going to change. I am pretty tentative."