Island Lake could replace police chief tonight

Already on paid administrative leave, Island Lake's interim police chief could be formally forced from office and replaced tonight.

The village board is set to have a special, closed-door meeting at 8 p.m. to discuss personnel matters and pending litigation.

Afterward, the board will consider removing Police Chief Anthony Sciarrone and replacing him with an interim or permanent chief.

Trustees had few details about the plans for the meeting, which they say was called by Mayor Debbie Herrmann.

Last month, Herrmann suspended Sciarrone and launched an investigation into his performance without first consulting the board. Some trustees have criticized her for the unilateral actions.

Herrmann has refused to publicly discuss why she took action against the chief, citing the investigation as reason for her silence.

On Wednesday, Herrmann declined to talk about the pending decisions, saying she'd answer questions after the votes.

Trustee Don Verciglio said Herrmann has "multiple resumes" of candidates for the chief's post, but he doesn't have the names of the candidates. He didn't know if Herrmann plans to recommend one or multiple candidates for the board to consider.

Trustee Don Saville said he has no information about Herrmann's plans and expects the closed-door meeting to be enlightening.

"Especially when you don't know anything about it," he said.

Trustee Laurie Rabattini said she expects Herrmann to explain her reason for removing and investigating Sciarrone tonight in the closed-door-meeting. Trustee John Ponio met privately with Herrmann on Wednesday and said he has similar expectations.

Herrmann has three political allies on the board and three foes, so her own vote occasionally is the deciding vote on issues. Unless Herrmann provides proof of wrongdoing, Rabattini hopes the mayor won't have the four votes needed to remove him.

The investigation, which has been conducted by the village's law firm, has hurt Sciarrone's professional reputation, Rabattini said.

"He's had a stellar record throughout (his career)," she said.

Sciarrone was named interim police chief in March 2008 after Chief John Fellmann resigned. Previously, Sciarrone had served as an officer and a sergeant in the department.

Detective Matt Du Chemin has been running the department's daily operations during Sciarrone's suspension.

Sciarrone has continued collecting an $85,738 annual salary during his suspension.

Sciarrone isn't the only police officer Herrmann has disciplined in recent months. She also placed part-time officer Fred Manetti on leave without explanation or consulting the board.

Herrmann cited an investigation led to that suspension as well, but the details of it have not been made public.