Manteno board fights through perceived ‘dysfunction’

Under the public scrutiny that the Manteno Village Board is dysfunctional, trustees conducted business without fail on Monday.

The most pressing issue of the night was the discussion and vote on the appeal of the denial of a mobile food truck license for SG’s Rollin’ Smoke BBQ. The food truck’s request to operate on a vacant lot in Manteno was previously denied by the board.

The board eventually voted 4-2 to deny the appeal, and the vote was split on party lines. Trustees Todd Crockett, Joel Gesky, Peggy Vaughn and Annette Zimbelman voted to deny the appeal, while Michael Barry and CJ Boudreau voted in favor.

SG’s Rollin’ Smoke BBQ, which occasionally sells outside at the American Legion, was hoping to set up in a vacant lot on West Cook Street on weekends. Some trustees saw the operation on the lot as more of an itinerant operation than just a mobile food truck.

The board also said there’s some gray area in the village code that will need to be clarified for future requests.

Public pushback

During public participation at the beginning of the meeting, a few residents spoke about the perception of the board in the community. There were both pro and con comments.

Jacob Carlile, owner of the Carlile Group in Manteno, said he’s also an employer and a father.

“The level of dysfunction that I’m seeing here month after month after month is disheartening to say the least,” he said. “We have to do better than this. We have to. If this is what we’re calling progress, we are seriously misdirected.”

He added that he keeps hearing that there was a mandate, referring to a partial change in the board after the election.

“If there was, that mandate is still in the minority,” Carlile said. “You still are. You don’t have the votes. So, complaining about not having the votes that you need to push things in the direction you want to push them is not how government works.

He said the government moves slowly intentionally, as there’s not a board-wide election for every seat.

Carlile was also critical of Mayor Annette LaMore, saying she wanted to make changes to staffing without saying why, which makes zero sense.

“I’m here to tell you, finding good people, finding good staff that do the job is not easy,” he said.

Carlile also said he’s grown tired of hearing the same complaints every month during public comment. Carlile said he contributes heavily to the community in both investment of time and resources and taxes.

“I’m telling you that I don’t stand here alone when I say this is extremely discouraging,” he said. “Let’s not make statements about how we’re trying to work together and then immediately turn around and not work together. That doesn’t make any level of sense.”

Resident Sandy Chiz said she’s an optimist, “but I don’t see changes being made by the old guard board members, and that makes me sad.”

Longtime resident David Bergdahl said everyone needs to quit taking shots at each other.

“The board divided as deep a rift as it is, we’re not really going forward very well,” he said. “That said, I know you all can work together. I’ve seen you all do it in the past. … I really hope that we start seeing people working better with each other and taking each other’s considerations more and more into their decision-making.”

Paul Motel also spoke about the board’s dysfunction and said it was disheartening to hear a business owner expressing how upset he was about people voicing their opinions about the division on the board. He said people have the right to express their opinions.

“They’re angry because they voted for change, and they’re not getting it,” Motel said. “They’re seeing it plain as day.”

He said a few meetings ago, some residents observed what they thought was bullying by board members.

“How are we ensuring fiscal responsibility by seeking bids for a permanent stage out here on the Square [on Second], then the next meeting saying, ‘Hey, we can’t afford all this stuff. We might have to charge you for your garbage,’ ” he said. “How does that make sense?”

Overall, Motel said everyone needs to do better.

“Not just this board, not just certain members of this board, but the members of the community as well,” he said. “We’ve talked about it, and as I mentioned after April 1, we have to stop the divisiveness. Let’s come together already.”

After the meeting, LaMore said she knows she’s not going to make everybody happy.

“I know that, and I’m doing the best I can,” she said. “I will take any constructive criticism and think about that. And maybe it will make me better at what I’m trying to do here.”