Underscoring the tension between Oak Brook Village President Kevin Quinlan and five out of six trustees, the Village Board last week eliminated the deputy police chief position and restricted Village Manager Rick Boehm’s hiring authority.
Quinlan and Trustee Asif Yusuf opposed both measures. Eliminating the deputy chief post, they said, was unnecessary because the board simply could direct Boehm not to fill the position. Quinlan previously had assured trustees that Acting Police Chief John Carpino would not make key personnel decisions, such as promoting anyone to deputy chief.
Trustees are leery of Quinlan’s motives regarding the Police Department after he surprised them July 1 by appointing Carpino and announcing he was a lead candidate for the permanent post.
Trustees said they could reinstate the second-in-command position once a permanent police chief is hired. “This is the simplest way,” said Trustee Stelios Aktipis, who introduced the proposal.
William Haas retired as deputy chief in May. He since has said that he was forced out by the village president, which Quinlan denies. Likewise, Quinlan denies trustees’ assertions that he forced out Police Chief Allen Pisarek around the same time.
In amending the ordinance relating to the village manager’s authority, trustees decided that, with few exceptions, Boehm must get approval from the board before hiring employees, reassigning them or promoting anyone, even on an interim or acting basis.
Boehm prevailed on trustees to give him full authority in the hiring of seasonal employees, since he said the provision would have negatively affected the village’s ability to retain those workers.
Trustee Elaine Zannis emphasized the aim was to “protect” Boehm from being placed in the middle of situations in which Quinlan might direct him to do one thing, while one or more trustees might ask him to do another.
Boehm has been caught in the political crossfire. On July 9, the board told him to ask Carpino not to report to work until his disputed employment had been resolved. Boehm conveyed the board’s wishes to Carpino but also said he could not compel Carpino to abide by the request.
