Letter: Resident Urges Mayor to Speak Out on Plainfield Park District

It’s not fair to say that because criticism of your lack of comment on the problems within the Plainfield Township Park District came from individuals who used aliases that a response wasn’t warranted.  You are an intelligent and cultured person I can’t be convinced that you don’t realize that your constituents expect to hear your view and see you show your leadership on this.  Since when do we check for ID at the door as the test of whether or not a citizen deserves an answer?

We have a superb administrative staff at the village, and they do the actual work of running the village.  Yes, they get guidance from the trustees and the mayor, but nitty-gritty, they run the joint.  So, if we can’t turn to the elected reps at our village for guidance and engagement on issues affecting Plainfield what good are any of you?  I’m okay with accentuating the positive, but it can’t all be just publicly cheerleading and praising folks at each board meeting for jobs well done.  Sure, people deserve praise for doing great work, but why can’t we turn to our elected leadership to speak as clearly and swiftly when someone is doing a terrible job for Plainfield?  I don’t mean some vendor occasionally getting out of line who we can afford to scold, either.  This isn’t about whether or not the village board has any power to exercise over the PTPD.  It’s about expecting everyone at the village board to fulfill the expectations the residents have for communicating on issues affecting Plainfield.  You may not have jurisdiction, but you sure do have a voice.

We are so far past the PTPD board just having communication problems or simply not being able to make progress through “working together” that it’s obscene!  There may actually be fraud, bid-stringing, and vendor kick-backs being done over on Ottawa Street; law enforcement is investigating; and employee harassment, disenfranchising of board members, and public intimidation have been proven.  How can anyone not have something to say about that, even as just another neighbor and resident of the district?  You live here, too, Mr. Mayor, just like the rest of us.

If what it takes is an individual not in a cloak to prompt a response, okeydokey:  I’m asking you, Mayor Collins, to please give us detailed response on how you perceive this situation and what you support in terms of correcting it.  You should note that in some cases it is exactly because some ordinary citizens felt intimidated and powerless in this that they kept their identities hidden while they asked for help.  But that doesn’t mean their concerns were not valid or worthy of attention from those in power, men and women like you, our elected representatives.  This PTPD mess and the continued place on the Plainfield Village Board of Trustee Garrett Peck (a person who has tried to intimidate and render powerless the citizens of Plainfield, among other things), is damaging to Plainfield and its future.  And, Plainfield has such a bright and exciting future, that’s just heart-breaking.  Things like this throw away with both hands all that good your team at the village does.

Mayor Collins, please share what you think on this issue with all of us.  I know I wouldn’t be alone in appreciating it.  I do sympathize with the tough spot this puts you in, but I sympathize more with the entire community of Plainfield over this willful attack by a few on the health and success of our entire village.

Cordially,

Vicky Polito

Plainfield, IL