By: Diane Benjamin
Title of the story:
Normal mayor wants town to draft rules to allow auxiliary housing
At least half of the story is Koos condemning Stan Nord.
Here’s what Koos ignored in the interview:
The clerk would not have posted the petitions for Supervisor, Collector and Clerk on the website if Stan Nord hadn’t sent the email. Since the petitions were posted right after he sent that email it proves the Town/Clerk agreed with the premise of the email: Not posting them was illegal.
Without the email there would be no Electoral Commission hearing the challenges thrown together by Fritzen and Dullard.
Koos also failed to mention the Electoral Board is not impartial since the lawyer they hired, Madigan’s Michael Kasper, had sent letters to the three petition filers stating their names would not be on the ballot.
Since Attorney Tom Devore said what the strategy might be on Cities 92.9 today I can tell you. Devore is exploring filing for a change of venue. That means an Electoral Commission in some other city would hear this case instead of obviously biased Normal. Fritzen and Dullard would then have to fund an appeal when that commission rules the law is clear, not the three that will be denied a fair hearing in Normal.
Citizens are justly appalled by what happened at the last Normal Town Council meeting. Judge Kording ruled in September. Normal had time to comply with what he said. They didn’t. The circus was only to deflect from their ineptness. Normal would rather deny citizens the right to all representation required by law.
I can’t wait to see what Madigan’s lawyer cost the taxpayers, it will be even sweeter when small town lawyer Devore defeats him.
The Incorporated Town law was written 37 years ago. It’s time Normal complies.
The Koos story from the article:
In an interview for WGLT’s Sound Ideas, Koos also addressed issues raised recently in problematic communication by council member Stan Nord to town staff. Nord sent a two-page email to the city clerk’s office staff hinting at felony prosecutions if staff did not correctly publicize petition filings by candidates seeking to run for offices that do not exist or which are not elected positions.
He said the other council members were very clear this week that they condemn Nord’s action, and he is disinclined to seek a formal censure vote by the council.
“They really don’t carry any formality or legality,” said Koos. “Really, in terms of the law around municipal elected officials, censure really doesn’t exist. It’s more of a formal position from a body and if the body wants to do that, we can move forward with it,” said Koos.
Nord after Monday’s council meeting that he was sorry if deputy clerk Jodi Pomis felt intimidated by his email. He said the emails content was meant to be “helpful and informational.”
Koos said that given the language in the note that the law doesn’t protect town employees who knowingly engage in felonies, he didn’t find Nord’s assertion of helpfulness credible.
“I actually don’t. Mr. Nord may have thought his intentions were helpful. But his rhetoric was not, as evidenced by the reaction of Ms. Pomis and other people in the office. They were very upset,” said the mayor.
Koos also raised an issue of proper chain of command. Council members are supposed to go to the city manager first with questions or concerns.
“Mr. Nord has been told time and time again, to take it up with the city manager or me if he has issues, which he has yet to do. I’ve talked to Mr. Nord, maybe twice in four years outside of the council chambers,” said Koos.
Koos said he didn’t want to go on the record defining what Nord has created as a “hostile workplace environment,” leading to potential legal liability issues.
“But are the indications in that direction? Absolutely,” said Koos.
Koos said the town legal staff is exploring whether the town would be liable for not doing enough to forestall Nord, if a court were to find that there was a hostile work environment, adding he is not aware of any statute that can protect town employees from similar Nord missives.
“We have looked at that. We’ll probably revisit that again. But in terms of legal action against an elected official state, law pretty much dictates that you almost have to commit a felony for any kind of action,” said Koos.
Remember when Koos bragged about using his bully pulpit? Tyrant Koos is only concerned that his power is supreme and hates the idea that anyone, especially Nord would stand for the citizens of Normal.
So telling town staff to stop breaking the law and to do their job makes it a hostile work environment. I’d of just called the police and fired the culprit.
Unbelievable
If I were Koos, I’d be very careful what I say right now. Instead of this issue being about Stan Nord creating a hostile work environment, this could very easily turn around and bite Koos and his Council in the butt when it’s ruled that they broke the law. That point, at least to me, is pretty clear that they at least tried by ignoring the petitions and hiring an attorney to draft a letter to the candidates who filed. That part definitely is intimidation.
I have more questions than answers right now, but one of the many questions I have is who approved the retaining of Kasper and Nottage? I doubt I’ll get my answer from sound ideas on WGLT.
If staff sued Nord for creating a hostile environment nobody could claim the council.and Reece haven’t created a hostile environment for him.
I can see the clerk whining on the stand to a judge that Stan telling them ”follow the law” is the cause of their workplace hostility. That just screams investigate me, we ignore laws all the time.
Pam Reece doesn’t see how ridiculous her staff make Normal look.
Pam Reece doesn’t understand how ridiculous she looks! Nor does her mother-in-law. Nor do the rest of them. I watched the video from last Monday night’s Council meeting where Pam defended the organization. We’re all just supposed to sit back and not notice or think anything of when they waste tax payer money left and right. Her Council doesn’t understand what a bad look it is when they buy two new Rivians for somebody in her organization. And that’s just one example of hundreds. Her speech Monday night is everything that’s wrong with Normal. It’s all about advancing Pam’s organization with zero accountability.
What a mess. And the creation of this mess is the result of the environment koos and reece have created. Lawlessness doesn’t bother them. That is a HUGE CONCERN!
Plus, it is always the case that the parties most at fault (koos and reece) will deflect from their own unlawful and inappropriate behavior by blaming others. You know exactly the game they’re playing and we’re not buying it.
Time for Mr.Nord to file first amendment lawsuits against Koos the council and the city of Normal. Not only has his first amendment rights been violated but Libel and Slander I would think needs to be explored. Maybe Mr.Devore would be a good choice for attorney? I tip my hat to Stan. He is far more tolerant than I would ever be with the dictator.
First and foremost it is pathetic that the honest people have to raise and spend good money to maintain their constitutional rights or basically to force others to follow the law. FOLKS. PLEASE DONATE to this cause. I don’t live in the area but I would still donate to the cause.
2nd. Not only should Stan sue over the hostile work environment they created for him long before this incident. And in addition to the violation of his freedom of speech, I’m thinking what he did is also related to the whole Whistle Blower Act! The retribution part of it all caught on tape.