Woodstock City Council: Do the "Right Thing"!

On Tuesday, June 17, 2008 the Woodstock City Council will meet at 7 PM in City Hall. I hope all people interested in the actions and decisions of elected and appointed leaders are there to view the proceedings.

I will be there and some of my acquaintances will also be there. I am certain that they will not even mention the fact that the Chief of Police, Robert W. Lowen Jr. has filed a Motion to Review (a public record on file at the court house) the hearings that he initiated when he filed a complaint with the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners ( who are considered officers of the City of Woodstock and his superiors) against Sgt. Steven R. Gorski, a veteran of the force for the last 19 years, seeking his dismissal from the police force. After months of hearings, testimony by the Chief and the City's supposed evidence being presented they rested their prosecution against Sgt. Gorski sometime before Christmas. Sgt. Gorski through his attorney at that time presented no defence against the complaint filed by the Chief of Police and prosecuted by Ann Brophy a member of a prestigious law firm in Crystal Lake Illinois. The Sergeant's attorney Tom Loizzo respectfully asked the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners to consider a Motion for a Directed Verdict and if they did so accept said motion to act on only the case and evidence presented entirely by the Chief of Police and his attorneys.

On, if I recall accurately, January 4, 2008 the Board accepted the Motion for a Directed Verdict and deliberated for several minutes the evidence and case presented entirely by the Chief and City over the last few months and came to a 3 to 0 finding in favor of Sergeant Gorski. This is when the Chief of Police decided not to accept the decision of his superiors (see City of Woodstock Municipal Code) on the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners and filed a Motion for Review with the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court naming the members of the City's Board of Fire and Police Commissioners along with Sergeant Gorski as defendants and himself as Plaintiff. It is true the Board of Fire and Police Commissioner cannot hire or fire the Chief of Police but he has a duty under the City Code to enforce their rules and orders. They can however recommend to the City Manager, Mayor and City Council his dismissal should they deem it in the best interests of the City or if he is found to have violated the Municipal Codes of the City which he took an oath to protect.

The decision on this Motion will be on July 17, 2008 before Judge MacIntyre of the 22nd Judicial Circuit. I am sure that none of the above will be discussed in the open meeting of the City Council Meeting under the pretence that it is a "personnel issue" and will be handled in "executive session".

How convenient it is to have "executive session" when you don't want the public to know something and yet when the Chief and his attorney read the Complaint of the Chief it was in "open session" of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners. When the Chief and the City's attorney wanted to get "their message" out to the public there was no concern of the matter being a "personnel issue" and it was announced to the whole world via the local press and Internet....very convenient for them don't you think. I hope the Mayor and City Council Members being honorable individuals look into this very troubling situation. Somebody is using a lot of Woodstock taxpayers money to contest their own Board and Process....strange....very strange. City Council...please do the right thing.