Atlanta Library “answers” questions – regurgitates improper advice –

Logan Co., IL. (ECWd) –

The Atlanta Public Library District actually “answered” some questions in writing that were asked of them at the last meeting.

However, they are desperately clinging to what we consider improper advice given by the Library District’s Attorney, Mr. Phillip Lenzini, who failed to properly account for ALL of the requirements in order for Trustee William Thomas to have an exception to the prohibited interest in contracts found in Sections 3 and 3.1 of the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act.

District residents need to demand they get a new library attorney, or at the very least, obtain another written legal opinion that accurately reflects legal requirements of Trustee Thomas in relation to the Union Hall building.

We suspect the library board may now try and claim he can be a member of an NFP (Not For Profit) and sell or lease property to the District, however, there is no provision in the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act (POPAA) allowing Library Board Member to do that – the NFP exception is found in the Illinois Municipal Code and the POPAA – but only for “Municipal” officers (which does not apply to library board members).

In other answers:

• there was no legitimate inspection completed
• there was no legitimate appraisal completed
• no fireproof doors will be installed
• they are not concerned about how much money they lose on the building lease every month
• they ran out of checks, which is why they went to money orders, and no copies were kept
• no requirement to place building purchase on ballot, so they won’t do it because they don’t have to
• there is no purchase agreement in place (but there is a long-term lease agreement that was never approved in a public meeting – but they left that part out) – at least they appear to admit the 2014 Contract for Purchase was a sham…
• they don’t have to do an audit unless they want to – so they won’t

Read all of it below (with our comments in red):

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