West Chicago mayor and city council continue feud over staffing authority

Although West Chicago Mayor Daniel Bovey proposed a “pathway forward” this week, his feud with the city council over staffing decisions continues.

During his first meeting on May 5, Bovey declared that the employment contracts for City Administrator Michael Guttman, city attorney Patrick Bond and Police Chief Colin Fleury expired when he took office.

Bovey then appointed Assistant City Administrator Tia Messino as the interim city administrator and Jeffrey Jacobson as the interim city attorney. In addition, he reinstated Fleury on an interim basis.

However, West Chicago City Council members did not vote on the staffing changes. And members of the 14-member council argued that Bovey can’t hire and release employees without their support.

The dispute prompted Bovey to sue the city council on May 13. The lawsuit asks for a ruling on the termination of contracts for Guttman and Bond and requests an injunction against their interference in his appointments.

Bovey and aldermen clashed again during a city council meeting on Monday.

It started when aldermen Sandy Dimas and Joseph Morano sought a motion to approve a “corrected agenda” for the meeting. The revised agenda contained items that included votes on the continued employment of Guttman and Bond. Another item would have allowed the council to declare a lack of consent for the lawsuit.

But Bovey and Jacobson called the revised agenda “out of order” and said it violated the Open Meetings Act.

Later in the meeting, Dimas and Bond attempted to read from a document called “City Council Meeting Procedures” regarding the legality of introducing the corrected agenda.

Bovey refused to allow them to continue and questioned whether the procedures came from West Chicago statutes.

When the mayor sought to continue the meeting with the posted agenda, the city council rejected the motion. Dimas then tried again to return to the revised agenda.

“That is just not going to happen,” Bovey said.

Bovey then presented his “pathway forward,” which he termed a compromise he intends to have up for a vote at the June 2 city council meeting.

As part of his proposed compromise, Bovey says he would appoint a special counsel to represent West Chicago in his legal dispute with the city over his family’s backyard geodesic dome greenhouse. He said appointing a special counsel would avoid a “potential conflict of interest.”

In addition, Bovey suggested that aldermen could retain Bond as their “legislative counsel.”

Meanwhile, Bovey is asking the city council to approve the appointments of Messino and Fleury as interim city administrator and interim police chief.

In response to misgivings about Jacobson being city attorney because he previously represented Bovey, the mayor said he would appoint the law firm Ancel Glink as interim corporate counsel.

Finally, Bovey asked “to give Mr. Guttman a pathway to achieve his goals of retirement” with an “amicable settlement.”

Bovey said negotiations might allow Guttman to stay with the city but not as city administrator.

In the meantime, Bovey complained that several aldermen have refused to meet with him regarding his actions and plans.

“The central question remains,” Bovey said, “Are we willing to work together respecting both branches of our municipal government?”