Three Mundelein trustees honored as they conclude public service
Three soon-to-depart Mundelein trustees were honored by Mayor Steve Lentz and their peers on the board Monday night, when each received framed honorary street signs as parting gifts.
Robin Meier, Ed Sullivan and Terri Voss will end their tenures as trustees in two weeks. They opted not to seek re-election, so Monday night's board meeting was their last as elected officials.
At the start of the session, Lentz gave them custom-made street signs bearing the names Meier Gateway, Sullivan Way and Voss Vista. Each gift also had a short inscription about their service, and Lentz read those to the crowd at village hall.
Sullivan was the veteran of the trio after serving as trustee for 16 years. An outspoken financial watchdog, he hounded local elected officials about fiscal matters before he ran for the board.
Lentz noted Sullivan's desire for fiscal responsibility Monday night and called him "a trusted adviser and a visionary leader."
Lentz also noted Sullivan's penchant for arguing with other elected officials, especially Voss.
In an interview with the Daily Herald, Sullivan called his 16 years on the board "a tremendous education."
Voss was a trustee for 12 years. As Lentz noted, she and Sullivan were regular sparring partners on the dais, but any animosity between them stayed in the boardroom.
When asked about her legacy, Voss said she believes she changed the standard of behavior for trustees. The board members now are better prepared for meetings and attend functions in the community, something that didn't always happen years ago, she said.
"Prior to me coming on the board, trustees weren't as involved and didn't necessarily even read their packet," Voss told the Daily Herald. "Now that's expected."
Lentz praised Voss for being a "voice of the people."
Meier served on the board for seven years. She's stepping down to take care of unspecified personal issues, but she said she may run again.
"I'll either look at it in two years or four years, one or the other," Meier said.
In his remarks Monday, Lentz called Meier "a champion for government transparency and effective governance."
Meier's most significant contribution to the village may have been her final project - leading the committee that investigated options for the old village hall building on Hawley Street.
That group wrapped up months of research in March when it recommended officials market the land as a site for a restaurant or an arts center.
Whether the Alpine-style building will be repurposed or demolished has yet to be determined.
Meier said she wants to see a fine-dining restaurant take over the property. With other eateries already speckling Hawley Street, that kind of business could anchor "a restaurant row concept," Meier said.
Meier, Sullivan and Voss will be succeeded by the winners of this month's local election: political newcomers Dakotah Norton, Bill Rekus and Kerston Russell.
The trustees-elect will be sworn in May 11.