Tinley Mayor Vandenberg Explains Why Board Meeting Was Canceled

TINLEY PARK, IL — Mayor Jacob Vandenberg reiterated the reason Friday why Tinley Park's village officials canceled this week's board meeting: Too few members would be in attendance to legally conduct government business.

In other words, there was a lack of a quorum. In Tinley, there are six trustees and an elected mayor. They would need four board members present to have a quorum.

"This happens regularly within our commission structure," Vandenberg said in a message to Patch.

His comments come after Patch reported that although many absent trustees called in sick, sources said that most were attempting to avoid an awkward and potentially ugly political scene they expected to play out later in the meeting. Vandenberg said he was unable to respond to Patch's request for comment about the meeting at the time of publication, but fully intended to do so.

Village manager David Niemeyer was sick, he confirmed, as Patch reported. So was trustee Cynthia Berg.

"I was notified via email that both trustee Brady and trustee berg were going to be absent," the mayor wrote. "I later was notified by village staff that trustee Younker was also not going to be in attendance. Trustee Curran is on a planned family vacation."

Vandenberg also indicated he was following village attorney Patrick Connolly's advice about whether to convene the meeting anyway. He sent an excerpt of an email he said came from Connolly that explained that position. Pat Carr is Tinley's assistant village manager.

“All I spoke to Pat Carr just a moment ago and I want to make it clear what my advice is if in fact it is confirmed that all 4 of the Trustees Will Not be in attendance. My recommendation would be to cancel the meeting. The Illinois Municipal Code requires that a majority of corporate authorities be in attendance to conduct Village business. Opening a meeting is conducting Village business. Moreover the Village tracks the same language as follows: A majority of the corporate authorities shall constitute a quorum to do business. A smaller number, however, may adjourn from time to time, and may compel the attendance of absentees, under whatever penalties, including a fine for a failure to attend, the Board of Trustees may prescribe by ordinance.

Thus, the only thing that less than a majority can do is adjourn to discuss compelling attendance under any penalties proscribed by Ordinance.

Finally, When a quorum does not show and there are residents in the room it often leads to a situation whereby the residents want to be heard and the elected officials want to hear them . Unfortunately this would now become a likely Open Meetings Violation as majority of a quorum (in this case the mayor, trustee Glotz, and Trustee Pannito [sic]) would be a majority of a quorum”.[sic]

As for the board meeting, it will not be rescheduled.

"Fortunately," Vandenberg added, "no village business will be delayed due in part to the excellent scheduling and organizing of village staff."

The trustees who made it to the meeting, Michael Glotz and Michael Pannitto, as well as clerk Krisin Thirion, said they were not notified in time or did not know about the cancelation.

Vandenberg did not address those concerns.