Telephone dispute lands Grafton Township officials back in court

If you called Grafton Township last week, you might have reached Supervisor Linda Moore at her home in Huntley.

On Monday, Township Administrator Pam Fender might have answered the phone.

After Tuesday, who knows who you'll get.

That question is being answered by the courts, where Moore is sparring with Fender and the township board over who controls the township phones.

The latest flare-up in Grafton Township's long-running political dispute started last week when Moore, after consulting with her attorney, asked AT&T to redirect one or more of the township's phone lines to her home, where she has been working in recent weeks.

"It was a rather complicated order with AT&T," Moore said.

Moore began working from home after the township trustees essentially kicked her out of her office and moved her into another room. While trustees say Moore's new office is adequate, the supervisor disagrees.

"It's not an office, it's a closet," Moore said. "I have relocated because I was thrown out of my office."

She adds, "In order to do the day-to-day activities of the office - clearly there are phones that are specified for the supervisor's office. It is listed in the directory as the supervisor's number, and I have not authorized anyone else to answer the phone."

But Fender and township trustees were none too pleased when they realized residents seeking assistance were reaching Moore's home phone instead of someone at the township office.

"It's just more deviant behavior," Fender said. "It's senior citizens who want to get a ride. She's left them out in the cold again."

Moore would not say which lines she had routed to her home, referring further questions to her attorney, who could not be reached immediately for comment.

Trustees obtained a temporary restraining order Friday forcing AT&T to route the phone lines back to the office. The order is in effect until Tuesday, when the parties are due back in court.