A perceived conflict of interest by a River Forest village trustee in the red-light camera matter is dividing the River Forest village board. And, for at least one trustee, also at issue is Village President John Rigas’s handling of that trustee’s recusal letter.
Twice, and at length each time, trustee Catherine Adduci’s personal connection to RedSpeed Illinois surfaced during Monday night’s meetings. Adduci is married to Al Ronan, chief lobbyist for RedSpeed Illinois, vendor of the red-light camera enforcement technology that the River Forest board of trustees has been discussing recently and on which it voted last week. They are separated, but not divorced.
Trustees differed pointedly both on whether there was in fact a conflict of interest by Adduci related to RedSpeed, and whether she notified the board formally in a timely and public manner. Also at issue for trustee Steve Hoke is Rigas’s handling of a recusal letter that Adduci had forwarded to him.
Hoke expressed concern at a special board meeting called to review the village’s handling of possible red-light cameras in the wake of RedSpeed’s rejection of their contract counter offer. The issue was then argued over at length at a subsequent committee of the whole meeting.
When Hoke brought up the issue of Adduci’s purported conflict, several trustees, including James Winikates, said they believed Adduci had adequately informed the board of her possible conflict of interest and that they didn’t believe she in fact had a conflict.
Winikates and others argued that Adduci had informed some trustees at the May 4 meeting of new trustees. Hoke noted that Adduci had sat through a board meeting June 22 at which consensus was reached to move forward with retaining RedSpeed as a village vendor.
Hoke responded that the May 4 meeting was not open to the public, nor were all trustees present.
During a two-minute exchange at the June 22 village board, only Hoke and Rigas spoke for the board. “You’re looking for consensus from us to do what you just asked,” Rigas said after Hoke’s comments. “The police committee is forwarding it over without a recommendation,” Hoke replied.
“I think you have that consensus,” Rigas said, without any objections expressed by other board members. Village Attorney Lance Malina and Village Administrator Steve Gutierrez then told the board they would begin work on a contract with RedSpeed and draft three related ordinances for the board’s approval. Those ordinances and the contract appeared on the July 13 board meeting agenda as part of the consent agenda.
They were pulled off the consent agenda at Winikates’ request and discussed at length, with the board passing an amendment to the RedSpeed contract 3-2, then unanimously passing the amended contract.
Adduci eventually recused herself in a letter to Rigas that was dated June 29 and forwarded June 30. The letter was not disclosed to the public, however, until a Pioneer Press reporter asked Rigas about Adduci. He responded by releasing Adduci’s letter to that reporter and later to other members of the media.
Hoke criticized Adduci’s silence and Rigas’s non-disclosure of the letter, saying, “You should have brought it up at the first July meeting. She should have brought it up at the second June meeting.”
Rigas said Adduci had made a “public announcement to all the members of the new board.” Hoke scoffed at that, saying the new trustee meeting was neither open to the public nor attended by all board members
Winikates, like Rigas, said Adduci had done more than she legally needed to do.
“She does not technically have a conflict,” said Winikates. “Neither she nor her husband will benefit from an agreement between RedSpeed and River Forest.”
When Hoke brought up the issue of “indirect interest” in a contract, Winikates interjected that a pertinent example of such an interest is a mutual fund.
“You have an indirect interest in the company with a mutual fund. That’s what indirect interest is in normal usage.”
Hoke argued that wasn’t the case, referring to both the Illinois Municipal Code and the Illinois Corrupt Practices Act:
“No person holding any office, either by election or appointment under the laws or Constitution of this State, may be in any manner financially interested directly in his own name or indirectly in the name of any other person, association, trust, or corporation, in any contract or the performance of any work in the making or letting of which such officer may be called upon to act or vote.”
Trustee Steve Dudek, chair of the board’s Recreation and legal committee, said he’d schedule a committee meeting to discuss the recusal issue as part of a larger discussion of a proposed ethics ordinance.
Hoke stressed Tuesday morning that his primary concern is not with Adduci, whom he said eventually noticed her potential conflict. It is, he said, with Rigas, whom he contends should have formally notified the entire board.
“My concern isn’t focused on trustee Adduci, my concern is focused on the chair (Rigas),” said Hoke.
Rigas acknowledged Monday and again Tuesday that he should have informed the entire board, but reiterated his contention that he is under no obligation to do so.
“I think it was my fault for not distributing it to the board,” said Rigas, who added he has no obligation to do so.
Rigas reiterated his comments Tuesday, and accused Hoke of political motives.
“Cathy has no interest,” said Rigas. “They don’t own RedSpeed. They’re not part of RedSpeed.” He said he believes Adduci “did everything she was supposed to do.”
“We knew, if RedSpeed came back (before the board) she wasn’t going to participate in the vote,” Rigas said.
“I think it’s unfair to write a whole article without Cathy here,” he added. “Sabotaging people when they’re not present, that’s bad board policy.” Adduci has reportedly been out of the country since before July 13. Asked when she would return, Rigas said, “I know it’s before August 1.”
Hoke said he “wasn’t comfortable” discussing Adduci in her absence, but also that he was “uncomfortable the chair and the other members of the board sat silent June 22, knowing about the conflict.”
Rigas accused Hoke of “a deliberate attempt to try to embarrass a trustee for no reason,” adding, “If he knew about it, why didn’t he inform the public?”
Hoke said it was neither his responsibility to mention the conflict, nor politically astute.
“They’d say I was being political for bringing that up,” he said. “It’s not the job of an ordinary board member to speculate, and then be accused of being political.”
Hoke added that any ethical objection he made regarding another trustee would be “speculative,” saying, “I don’t know the precise conflict between her and her husband and RedSpeed. She does.”
Hoke said he had serious issues with his colleagues views on ethics.
“If this is the way this board wants to do business, under a cloak of secrecy, disclosing material things only when it becomes absolutely necessary, we are going to have a major problem,” said Hoke.
“I’m very concerned that the majority of the board and the president don’t seem to think that’s a conflict,” said Hoke. “Trustee Winikates and I have different views of our ethical obligations.”
Rigas reiterated Tuesday his view that the entire issue was being blown out of proportion.
“I agree that it’s much ado about nothing,” he said. “(Adduci) identified her conflict to the majority of the board.”
Hoke countered he wasn’t focused on Adduci, saying, “He’s trying to deflect attention from himself. As I said last night, this is not about Trustee Adduci. This is about the chair having a letter and not disclosing it (formally) to the board.”
