At first glance, it may have
appeared to be much ado about nothing. A trustee wanted a clarification about
the use of a village policy by the Village Board President.
Yawn.
But last
week’s exchange between Village Board President Beverly Sussman and Trustee
Jeff Berman went beyond a mere discussion of the village’s communications
policy. It raised questions about the level of leadership and interaction by
Village Board members.
This
isn’t breaking news.
The
issue was brought to light by a seemingly frustrated Berman, the senior member
on the Board.
As I
have noted before, more interaction from Board members during meetings would be
a welcome addition. And, from listening to Berman at the Aug. 7 Committee of
the Whole meeting, there’s a need for more communication among board members
and from Sussman as Village President.
Berman
chided Sussman for her support via the village’s website of two events
sponsored by the Mazurdance, a Buffalo Grove dance school. The evens were the
“Big Show of Jewish Dances” on Saturday, Aug. 5 and the “International Festival
of Dance” on Sunday, Aug. 6, an event so big, as touted by Mazurdance, it
happens only once every 10 years.
The
fact that Mazurdance was looking for support is no big deal. However, the fact
that it was done on the village web site, is what Berman took exception to.
But
let’s leave Berman on the back burner for now, something some people may see as
a challenge.
What
needs to be done, is divorce the message from the messenger. Many wags on
social media, most of whom were not at the meeting, took the approach that the
mean Mr. Berman was unfairly attacking the poor Mrs. Sussman. In the words of
the late Howard Cosell, Berman was just “telling it like it is” in his own
inimitable style.
A
reality of public service is that the microscope is constantly in the on
position. In other words, transparency is front and center.
As the
late Robin Williams once said in an episode of “Mork and Mindy” – Reality; what
a concept.
There
was not a clear reason given by Sussman for the promotion of a business on the
village’s web site, except for the fact that it was “…an international celebration
– a very major event,” which, she added, attracted “dignitaries and people from
around the world.”
I’m all for diversity, but the reality is this – it was
two days of dance performances, and not the G8 summit.
Sussman
added that she wanted to welcome participants “to the United States of America
and Buffalo Grove.” Dance détente, how nice. Maybe the
village will want to host Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.
Sussman’s manipulation of a village policy
opens a can of worms and set a difficult precedent because, quite simply, how
do you handle requests from other organizations, especially businesses that
want free advertising?
Adding gas to the fire, was the back page
of the program from the weekend events featured a thank-you from Mazurdance to “Mrs.
Beverly Sussman, the Buffalo Grove Village President, for support to (sic) the
Cultural Event.”
The ad included Sussman’s official village
portrait, which apparently was taken off the village’s web site without
permission. For the record, the infamous
communications policy requires permission for use of any image from the village
website.
The ad does not separate Sussman from her
role with the village. If the village was supporting the event, support should
have been approved by the entire Board, not just on a whim by the Village
President.
“The Village President does not
unilaterally create, or countermand, policy. That is the prerogative of the
Board. So, I was disappointed, but not surprised, to hear absolutely nothing
from the Village President. I received no explanation or any suggested rationalization
for her usurpation of the authority of this Board by directing staff to act in
a manner forbidden by the established policy,” Berman said.
Sussman, however, doesn’t seem to see it
that way. As part of her defense she said, “My name is Beverly Sussman and I am president
of Buffalo Grove.”
Thank
you for that clarification Mrs. Haig, but that does not give you, or any public
official, the right to usurp policies or protocol.
In remarks directed toward Berman, Sussman resented
Berman emailing her, saying he should have just called her. “Nothing
was done on purpose,” she said, adding that she would have preferred a phone
call from Berman. “You sought to embarrass me. I did not mean to do anything
wrong,” she said.
Perhaps
the most telling part of what Sussman say was that “nothing was done on
purpose.” However, what apparently was done on purpose was not communicating
with anyone on the Board. And why did she want Berman to email her? Probably so
there would not have been a public discussion and she would not, despite what
she said, have been embarrassed.
But
wait, wasn’t transparency a big issue when she ran for Village Board President?
All public officials, elected or not, need to be transparent and open with
their constituents, a point that Berman’s statement dwelled on.
Only
Trustee Andrew Stein, in his apparently new role as teacher’s pet, thought it
should have been up to the Village Manager’s office to guide Sussman, a comment
that seemed to make Village Manager Dane Bragg bristle, and justifiably so.
The
spotlight is on public officials, perhaps now more than ever, as is the need
for transparency. It comes with the territory.
If it
is that difficult of a concept to grasp, then maybe the village should hire a
dermatological consult who can offer skin transplants from onion to something
tougher.
