Ex-candidate named to Island Lake commission

Former Island Lake trustee candidate Allen Murvine has been appointed to a seat on the village’s liquor commission.

Murvine, who unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the village board this past spring, joins Mayor Debbie Herrmann and local resident John Meehan on the panel.

He replaces Chuck Cermak, who had to resign the post when he joined the village board in May.

Murvine’s appointment was recommended by Herrmann and passed 4-2 Thursday night. Cermak and trustees Shannon Fox, Thea Morris and Connie Mascillino favored the move. Trustees Donna O’Malley and Laurie Rabattini opposed Murvine’s appointment.

Murvine did not attend the meeting. Reached by telephone Friday, he said he applied for the position because he wanted to “stay involved in the community.”

The liquor commission deals with liquor-related violations, such as whether to penalize a restaurant or bar that serves alcohol to an underage patron. It also reviews applications for liquor licenses.

Commissioners are paid $30 for each meeting they attend. Murvine’s first term will end in 2013.

In the April election, Murvine ran on a slate with Cermak and Mary Piekarski for three open trustee seats. Herrmann publicly backed the slate.

Fox, Morris and Joe Ptak ran as an opposition slate.

Fox and Morris were the top vote getters on Election Day, while Murvine and Cermak tied for the third seat. A coin flip in the Lake County clerk’s office eventually put Cermak into office.

Fox said Murvine impressed her during the campaign.

“I found Allen to be an intelligent and capable person who has a sincere interest in the well-being of the village,” Fox said.

Cermak said he spoke with Murvine about the liquor commission’s work during the campaign and expects Murvine with “fit well” in the post.

Rabattini said she opposed the appointment because of an incident during the spring campaign in which Murvine and Cermak deliberately placed campaign signs on public property just outside Ptak’s home, despite the Ptak family’s objections.

At the time, Murvine said he and Cermak were “being strategic” with sign placement. Earlier in the campaign, the village board temporarily waived a local rule preventing candidates from placing signs on public property.

On Friday, Rabattini called Murvine’s actions “nasty.”

“I just thought that was bad behavior,” she said.

Murvine said he didn’t regret the strategy but added that “it’s in the past, as far as I’m concerned.”

The board approved two other appointments Thursday.

Ed McGinty was named to the police pension board, while Willie Kootstra — the town’s public works director but also a resident — was named to the lake management committee.

The board voted against approving another term on the fire and police commission for Wolfgang Neumeier, whose most recent term has ended. Because Neumeier is a sitting commissioner, he can’t be removed from the post until a successor is named, village officials said.

And that can only happen if Herrmann recommends someone else for the post.