Final Messages From Clarendon Hills Manager Before Exit

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – Former Clarendon Hills Village Manager Zach Creer got what was likely his fateful email mid-afternoon Aug. 5.

Village President Eric Tech wrote him, "Need to talk this afternoon. When are you available?"

On that same day, as Patch reported in September, the village's attorney, Jason Guisinger, informed Creer he was being placed on paid leave. Much of the lawyer's letter was blacked out in the village's response to a public records request.

Near the end of that workday, it appeared Creer's authority disappeared. He emailed Tech, requesting that the elected official respond to a Chicago Tribune reporter who had called Creer three times. (Creer routinely handled reporters' messages.)

"I don't want to miss a deadline on his story if possible," Creer said.

A few days later, the reporter wrote a story about electric bicycle rules in Clarendon Hills and Hinsdale.

Recently, Patch requested the correspondence between Creer and Tech for the two weeks between Creer's last Village Board meeting and the start of his leave.

From the titles of the emails, it was clear that many of them were about the controversy over whether to eliminate a traffic triangle downtown to make way for a plaza. Much of the content was redacted, with the village citing various exceptions under the open records law.

One email from Creer was released, with just two words blacked out. It was a day after the board meeting, in which trustees heard an hour and a half of public comments on both sides of the plaza debate.

In the email, Creer was responding to a resident critical of the handling of the meeting. The person, a plaza opponent, viewed the plaza's supporters as mean, condescending and untruthful, particularly on social media.

The person, whose name was redacted, took issue with the board allowing a woman to turn her microphone sideways to speak to the audience, instead of addressing her comments to the village president, as required. The person also accused the woman of spreading untruths.

Creer responded that the village would continue to tighten up the rules.

"It cuts both ways," Creer said. "The 'anti' group got a lot of extra time to speak, so to say it was unfairly enforced doesn't seem correct to me," Creer said. "(The woman) should have been facing the board ideally, but that's not something I have ever seen heavily enforced. It seems a little micromanaging."

He also said the board cannot police the substance of people's comments.

"People from either side can say what they want online," Creer said. "I am just not sure this decision should (or will) be based on who wins a Facebook argument. I think the Board can distinguish between the substance and the noise and focus on the information they need to make their decision."

Time limits for comments are needed, he said.

"It's going to be tough to keep Trustees if every meeting runs to 11 p.m.," Creer said.

The board has seen its share of turnover in the last few years, with Trustee Denise Kavuliak being the most recent to leave.

In mid-September, the board approved a severance agreement with Creer. He was not present.

Village officials – to a person – have kept their lips publicly sealed on the reason for Creer's departure.