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Community Corner

PLNFLD PARK DISTRICT VIDEO OF 11/30/13, Special meeting, available

Posted at YouTube link/address below is the video, one clip of 24.5 minutes, of the Plainfield Park District special meeting on Saturday, Nov 30th, 2013.  This was on a single agenda item of selecting 2014 employee health insurance coverage.  www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsygVP9fIBo

Of note, in my opinion:

1.     Exec director Garrett Peck was absent and Commissioner Steinys was late and so missed half of the meeting.

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2.     The PPD selected a new insurance broker and carrier w/o a bidding or selection process like the Plainfield Library and the Village of Plainfield used this fall.  Comm. Hurtado said the broker came to him via a chance cold call.  Is that a good selection method?  The good news is they claim it will save $107,000.  But, without a more complete selection process how do we know this is the best deal to be had (with the Affordable Care Act kicking in, lots of municipalities are finding more competitive rates out there)?  And, how will savings be measured and verified?

3.     Comm. Ludemann reminds us that in May of 2012 this issue was studied in depth when key conditions that would trigger a full review of the insurance were set and those conditions have not been met.  Why did we dismiss an in-depth analysis and decision and take this superficial action?

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4.     In his comments about staff and their compensation Comm. Steinys revealed his total lack of appreciation for the staff and their work and he should apologize.

5.     Jan Silosky several times mentioned her commitment to preserving the contingency fund.  But at the July 24th budget meeting Silosky not only voted to recklessly raid the contingency fund, but she also never came through on the “sponsor” leads to refill the fund that she said she had, but couldn’t share until later.  So, please spare us the fake support and understanding of the contingency fund, Comm. Silosky.  The other funny-sad thing she said was that she was sorry that Comm. Ludemann “felt” unwelcome by staff to speak with them as she herself had in working out her decision on the employee insurance.  (I’d love to actually hear from even one employee who shared their views about their insurance with Silosky, as she claims they did when she stopped by to give them her holiday best wishes.)  It’s pretty obnoxious to be dismissive of someone else’s reality by telling them that it’s just their negative perception, something they “felt”.  Problem is that Comm. Ludemann has actually been told to her face by employees that they are not to speak with her about district business.  How awful and wrong.  Does anyone else—hopefully someone they are “allowed” to speak with—want to ask employees WHO gave them that “direction”?

6.     Yet again, Commissioners Hurtado, Silosky, and Steinys make clear that they are terrible at communicating with the public and conducting meetings.  Some of that is arrogance and ineptitude, some of it is just contempt.  Doesn’t it seem that they do not want to communicate to the residents because they think the residents are unworthy?  They are each just hostile, downright snotty—every time, to everyone, about everything.

To me, the special meeting was about special interests and—SURPRISE!—it wasn’t those of the tax-paying public or of the hard-working staff.  Watch it and see what you think.  And, as before, you can search YouTube for “PPD mtng”, and if you apply the filter of upload date, the most recent video floats to the top.  As before, anyone with on point questions or info for me can contact me at Vicky Polito, PO Box 1071, Plnfld, 60544 OR radical4plainfield@gmail.com.  If you want your info kept confidential, it will be.  As I posted this meeting video I noticed that the part 1 of the Nov 13 mtng video, the one containing the disgraceful tic-tac-toe playing, is up to over 1,000 views.  I doubt it’s because of how “happy” people are when they watch it!

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