Library Board Questions Trustee Over Confidentiality Violation

Earlier this year, the Cook County state's attorney found that the previous Morton Grove Public Library by failing to “keep a verbatim record of all their closed meetings” via recording. However, controversy was caused by the exact opposite occurance during a board meeting last month.

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Trustee Dan Hoffman told board members during Thursday’s meeting that he recorded “pieces” of a closed executive session meeting on Oct. 13 on his cell phone. The taping issue, listed as an agenda item and a violation of closed meeting confidentiality, was addressed by the library board. Hoffman defended the action and himself, asking Board President Mark Albers what, exactly, he had violated.

“The violation is you recorded the closed session executive meeting,” said Albers, firmly.

Hoffman told Albers he had recorded portions of the entire meeting, which was then deleted from his phone.

“It was erased before the meeting was even over,” Hoffman said. “It was just my way of taking notes. There were so many people talking at one time, I just wanted a recording to make sure everything was straight.”

He also said neither the recording nor information from the closed meeting was shared with anyone. But Albers and Board Secretary Catherine Peters claimed the information ended up on the ProLibrary Facebook page early the next morning, on Oct. 14.  

“The wording (from the closed meeting) is discussed,” Albers said. “Coincidentally, that information in our executive session made it on to that public website at 5:35 in the morning, the day after this meeting.”

Hoffman told Albers that he was “jumping to conclusions” that the information made it elsewhere. “And I’m telling you it didn’t,” Hoffman said.

After searching the ProLibrary’s Facebook page, Patch did not find any postings during that time on Oct. 14.

The rules

Minutes of open meetings are to be made available to the public within seven days of approval, according to the Illinois Open Meetings Act. However, recordings of closed meetings can only be disclosed to the public “after the (board) determines that the recording no longer requires confidential treatment,” as stated in the Act.

In wake of the state's attorney’s findings this summer, board members made between the board and the public. This includes having multiple video cameras on hand to film meetings and an official recording of closed meetings.

According to the board’s attorney, Frank Tennant, “there is only one recording of the executive sessions and that’s the official recording. And no one is to record the executive sessions.”

Reaction

Hoffman claimed he did not see that in the guidelines.

During the public participation segment of the meeting one resident addressed the board and Hoffman on the issue.

“I feel that Mr. Hoffman is acting … not in the best interest of the library and he should resign,” said the resident.

While the issue deals with the board specifically, during a phone interview, library co-director Kevin Justie said no further action would be taken on the violation.

“As far as I know, nothing more is planned,” he said.

Hoffman was the previous library board’s secretary and served the same role for the current board before stepping down shortly after voting against a successful motion in July to procure a separation agreement with . He currently serves as a library board trustee.