At a Board of Trustees meeting, not long after I took office, Trustee Andrea Pendleton, out of the clear blue, asked to read a correspondence from a "citizen," and I told her that was fine. She then went on to read a complaint from this "citizen." She had not checked with me beforehand as to what the correspondence involved. I assumed it was just going to be an informational type correspondence. Remember... "assume nothing."
To quote the collectors edition of the Peoria Heights Examiner from the 2007 election:
"After Trustee Andrea Pendleton read a postcard from a resident at a Village Board meeting complaining about dead trees in front of our new grade school and about weeds along a road near the school, Mayor Allen did not like hearing that. As a result this is a memo he sent out a few days later:"
It goes on to quote my memo, which reads as follows:
"Proper Procedure For Introducing Correspondences At Trustee Meetings:
1. If there is a correspondence of any type you (Trustees) want introduced at a Trustee Meeting, it must be given to Administrator Horstmann first... NO exceptions. That correspondence will be reviewed by Admin. Horstmann and myself to see if it should be read at a meeting, or given to the proper authority to be further handled.
2. After review and acceptance, the correspondence will be given to Village Clerk Musselman to read, NO exceptions.
3. If a Trustee wishes to read the correspondence himself/herself at a meeting, please make that request when the correspondence is given to Admin. Horstmann for view along with myself. Authorization to do so will be given by myself.
4. If these procedures are not followed, and a correspondence is brought forth at a Trustee Meeting without previous authorization, I will immediately gavel the proceedings and have an Executive Session to further discuss the matter.
Mark B. Allen, Mayor"
Couple problems here: One, a Trustee should NOT be reading a complaint at a meeting. The person making the complaint should appear in person to register that complaint. Just my opinion.
Second, and here's the important part: What the Examiner somehow failed to mention is that the complaint read by Trustee Andrea Pendleton was a FORGERY. That's right. Sort of an important tidbit of info to not pass along, don't you think? That's why I wrote the memo I did: the FORGED name was of a respected business owner in Peoria Heights. That respected business owner in Peoria Heights DID NOT WRITE THE COMPLAINT. It was FORGED, and Trustee Pendleton read it aloud, along with the FORGED name.
At the next Board of Trustees meeting, that respected business owner showed up, in tears, and asked WHY anyone would read such a complaint without FIRST checking to make certain it was real. It was left to me to apologize for the Village, for a FORGED complaint that I had nothing to do with the reading of, while Trustee Pendleton did not even say "sorry."
Now, do you think I might have had a good reason to write the memo? A Board of Trustees meeting is for Village business. We have a "Comments from the Audience" section, where people who want to air their grievances can certainly do so. I have no trouble or problem with those who dissent... just do it above board, without surprise at a public meeting, and try to do it with a REAL complaint, not a FORGED one.
Again, a "half truth." It just isn't convenient for the folks at the Peoria Heights Examiner to tell the WHOLE truth, because it doesn't further their "crusade."
amen to that brother. i think i rmember seeing that meeting on tv where pendleton had read that complaint turns out to be fake. when i watch she's always rolling her eyes at everything that's being done. its all political for her she don't care about the heights. keep on truckin' brother.
ReplyDeleteIf it was a forged signature on a postcard, doesn't that constitute mail fraud, or is it just character fraud?
ReplyDeleteANDREA PENDLETON SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF HERSELF, SHE SHOULD OF GOT WITH THE REST OF HER COMMUNIST PARTY FOR ADVICE. WHICH THEY HAVE NONE.
ReplyDeleteThe Peoria Heights Police did investigate the "postcard-gate," but were unable to determine who actually forged the complaint. All we knew for certain was that the person who was supposed to have written it, did NOT. The point was that it should not have been read in a meeting by a third party; particularly when that third party is a Trustee.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that it was a forged complaint made us all look like fools. It was not appreciated whatsoever by me; and that's why the memo was written. A number of people have appeared in person to complain about whatever is bothering them. That's what the "comments from the audience" section is for. I have no problem with that; in fact, I welcome it for the most part, because that's when we find out where a problem might be that we had no idea was present.
The respected business owner could have had a case of slander, I believe, against Trustee Pendleton and, ultimately, the Village. We were fortunate that she let it die after her appearance at the meeting. Trustee Pendleton would never have done such a thing under the previous mayor. And, to ignore what led up to my memo is typical of the Peoples Party hierarchy and their periodicals; it would not have furthered their cause.
Oh I like that memo, yes I do, and that is the WHOLE darn truth!! YOU ROCK MAYOR ALLEN!! and bless the business owner for letting it die -- thanks to your apology on behalf of the Village that you never should have had to make had Pendleton not pulled this -- yes, that would have been bad for the Heights!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea this kind of stuff went on in MY VILLAGE! Good reaction by our Mayor and administration, and lucky this issue died before doing damage to the taxpayers. A unnamed village employee (for decades) pulled me aside and said he didn't care if I was a Republican,Democrat,Green Party or whatever, if I was to be elected Trustee, I simply had to apply common sense to the position. To our school district English Departments, I'm sorry for the last "run-on" sentence.
ReplyDelete