Village, Union at odds over contract
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
A packed house was on hand for Tuesday's Chatham Village Board meeting, with residents on
hand speaking to the board about several topics.
•Mike Zahn, representing village employees who belong to the Local Operating Engineers Union
965, spoke to the board. Negotiations on a new contract have been ongoing since April.
Zahn said there have been two instances of management threat and intimidation from the village
during negotiations.
"We've been working six weeks without a contract now," he added. "We have a proposal here, and
we want you to vote this up or down. We know times are tough and we have some ideas on how the
village can save money. We are asking for the same raises that a meter reader gets, and I wanna
know how come one person in this village is more important than another?"
Village attorney John Myers explained that the village's negotiations committee handles the
negotiations with the union, adding, "This board is not in a position to second guess the negotiations
committee. This board is in no position to give a response tonight."
"We're not going to go much longer without a contract," Zahn concluded.
Village employees who belong to the Local 965 include water, street and parks workers, along with
Utility Office staff and police dispatchers.
The latest 3-year contract between the Village and Local 965 employees expired May 1, but has
been extended twice through the end of June, said Del McCord, the village's Director of Utilities and
Administration and a member of the negotiations committee. Other committee members are John
Hartnett, Sherry Dierking and Meredith Branham.
"They were asking the board to vote on what they are calling their final offer," McCord explained.
"We had an agreement not to negotiate in public, and I'm shocked he would come to a public meeting
and do a bargaining session with the village board."
"There's nothing to vote on right now," added Mayor Tom Gray. "By law we can't negotiate in public."
Several village employees who are members of the union were on hand at the meeting.
•Kris Cannon, a resident of Bens Drive in the Willow Glen Subdivision, came to the board to explain
how her neighbor's dog is wreaking havoc in her neighborhood.
Cannon's dog was attacked earlier this week by a dog named "Chaos," an American Bulldog.
Cannon brought pictures of her dog's wounds, and the dog, a 12-year-old beagle mix, had to have
surgery.
Cannon has lived in the area only since last August, and other neighbors were at the board
meeting telling stories of how "Chaos" has attacked their dogs and even their children.
Sangamon County Animal Control has already declared the dog a "dangerous dog," Cannon said,
and both the Chatham Police and County authorities responded quickly Monday morning after the
latest incident.
Cannon said authorities from the County tried to take the dog away, but it was back inside its
house and there was no answer at the door. A warrant is needed to get the dog under such
circumstances, she said.
"They just put up a six-foot privacy fence, but he climbs right out of there," she explained. "It's the
only dog that runs loose in our neighborhood.
"This was like our worst nightmare," she continued. "Thank God it wasn't a child. Something
needs to be done. The dog needs to be removed from the neighborhood and taken where it can get
the socialization and love it needs.
"These people don't have any regard for what's going on with their dog."
Cannon said the dog's owners are Cindy and Russell Johnson.
Another neighbor, Elizabeth Boston, told of how her now 19-year-old son is terrified of the dog and
was bitten in an incident two years ago. She has two children who are much younger who also have
been attacked by the dog.
Myers said "This board has heard you loud and clear," in response and the village and Chatham
Police will work to see what can be done about the situation.
•Two residents of the Foxx Creek Subdivision told the board of the need for stop signs in their area,
as speeding cars and semis in the area are getting out of control. With the village's growth to the
northwest, drivers can cut through the subdivision to access Mansion Road or Route 4.
Darren Clark, a resident of 302 Piazza, said a stop sign is needed at the corner of Piazza and
Ptarmigan.
"We need another stop sign on Ptarmigan," he said. "We need something else to slow these
people down. People are driving 50 miles an hour down our street."
Adam Neal, a resident of 313 Garvey Lane, told the board of a need for a stop sign at the
Garvey/Tracy Lane intersection.
"Garvey is a very long street and there are a lot of kids out here," he added. "There's a lot of
speeding."
•Ordinances and resolutions passed by the board included:
--A bid of $19,750 from Woody's Municipal Supply for two single axle trucks was accepted.
--The board approved to hire the firm of Bernardin Luchmueller and Associates to assist in land
acquisition services for the Gordon Drive project. The project involves constructing box culverts south
of the Walnut intersection, and the money for the project came from federal stimulus funds.
The $8,100 outlay for the work was a necessity to get the project going, and the money will come
from the earmarked stimulus funds from SATS.
--Summer MFT road project bids were accepted - oil and chip ($27,971.53) from IRC and milling
and overlay ($73,904.29) from P. H. Broughton.
•The board formally appointed Sgt. Jim Dodson as the temporary chief of police in Chatham.
Dodson has been at his new position since May 1 but a vote hadn't yet been taken.
•The board held a 20-minute closed session to discuss personnel and collective bargaining, but
there was no action taken.
•Committee meetings will be held Tuesday, June 16, starting with Administration and 6 p.m.
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
A packed house was on hand for Tuesday's Chatham Village Board meeting, with residents on
hand speaking to the board about several topics.
•Mike Zahn, representing village employees who belong to the Local Operating Engineers Union
965, spoke to the board. Negotiations on a new contract have been ongoing since April.
Zahn said there have been two instances of management threat and intimidation from the village
during negotiations.
"We've been working six weeks without a contract now," he added. "We have a proposal here, and
we want you to vote this up or down. We know times are tough and we have some ideas on how the
village can save money. We are asking for the same raises that a meter reader gets, and I wanna
know how come one person in this village is more important than another?"
Village attorney John Myers explained that the village's negotiations committee handles the
negotiations with the union, adding, "This board is not in a position to second guess the negotiations
committee. This board is in no position to give a response tonight."
"We're not going to go much longer without a contract," Zahn concluded.
Village employees who belong to the Local 965 include water, street and parks workers, along with
Utility Office staff and police dispatchers.
The latest 3-year contract between the Village and Local 965 employees expired May 1, but has
been extended twice through the end of June, said Del McCord, the village's Director of Utilities and
Administration and a member of the negotiations committee. Other committee members are John
Hartnett, Sherry Dierking and Meredith Branham.
"They were asking the board to vote on what they are calling their final offer," McCord explained.
"We had an agreement not to negotiate in public, and I'm shocked he would come to a public meeting
and do a bargaining session with the village board."
"There's nothing to vote on right now," added Mayor Tom Gray. "By law we can't negotiate in public."
Several village employees who are members of the union were on hand at the meeting.
•Kris Cannon, a resident of Bens Drive in the Willow Glen Subdivision, came to the board to explain
how her neighbor's dog is wreaking havoc in her neighborhood.
Cannon's dog was attacked earlier this week by a dog named "Chaos," an American Bulldog.
Cannon brought pictures of her dog's wounds, and the dog, a 12-year-old beagle mix, had to have
surgery.
Cannon has lived in the area only since last August, and other neighbors were at the board
meeting telling stories of how "Chaos" has attacked their dogs and even their children.
Sangamon County Animal Control has already declared the dog a "dangerous dog," Cannon said,
and both the Chatham Police and County authorities responded quickly Monday morning after the
latest incident.
Cannon said authorities from the County tried to take the dog away, but it was back inside its
house and there was no answer at the door. A warrant is needed to get the dog under such
circumstances, she said.
"They just put up a six-foot privacy fence, but he climbs right out of there," she explained. "It's the
only dog that runs loose in our neighborhood.
"This was like our worst nightmare," she continued. "Thank God it wasn't a child. Something
needs to be done. The dog needs to be removed from the neighborhood and taken where it can get
the socialization and love it needs.
"These people don't have any regard for what's going on with their dog."
Cannon said the dog's owners are Cindy and Russell Johnson.
Another neighbor, Elizabeth Boston, told of how her now 19-year-old son is terrified of the dog and
was bitten in an incident two years ago. She has two children who are much younger who also have
been attacked by the dog.
Myers said "This board has heard you loud and clear," in response and the village and Chatham
Police will work to see what can be done about the situation.
•Two residents of the Foxx Creek Subdivision told the board of the need for stop signs in their area,
as speeding cars and semis in the area are getting out of control. With the village's growth to the
northwest, drivers can cut through the subdivision to access Mansion Road or Route 4.
Darren Clark, a resident of 302 Piazza, said a stop sign is needed at the corner of Piazza and
Ptarmigan.
"We need another stop sign on Ptarmigan," he said. "We need something else to slow these
people down. People are driving 50 miles an hour down our street."
Adam Neal, a resident of 313 Garvey Lane, told the board of a need for a stop sign at the
Garvey/Tracy Lane intersection.
"Garvey is a very long street and there are a lot of kids out here," he added. "There's a lot of
speeding."
•Ordinances and resolutions passed by the board included:
--A bid of $19,750 from Woody's Municipal Supply for two single axle trucks was accepted.
--The board approved to hire the firm of Bernardin Luchmueller and Associates to assist in land
acquisition services for the Gordon Drive project. The project involves constructing box culverts south
of the Walnut intersection, and the money for the project came from federal stimulus funds.
The $8,100 outlay for the work was a necessity to get the project going, and the money will come
from the earmarked stimulus funds from SATS.
--Summer MFT road project bids were accepted - oil and chip ($27,971.53) from IRC and milling
and overlay ($73,904.29) from P. H. Broughton.
•The board formally appointed Sgt. Jim Dodson as the temporary chief of police in Chatham.
Dodson has been at his new position since May 1 but a vote hadn't yet been taken.
•The board held a 20-minute closed session to discuss personnel and collective bargaining, but
there was no action taken.
•Committee meetings will be held Tuesday, June 16, starting with Administration and 6 p.m.
Chatham Clarion
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Issue Date: June 11, 2009