Sue Ter Maat, TribLocal reporter
Still on the defensive with residents who demanded resignations because of high pay and perks highlighted in a recent Tribune story, the Highland Park Park District Board this week outlined a nine-point plan to address the complaints.
About 50 residents attended the board’s special meeting at the West Ridge Center on Monday to vent their disappointment and to hear how the board planned to address the issue.
They were angered by the revelation in an Aug. 1 Tribune story that outgoing Park District Executive Director Ralph Volpe landed $270,999 in bonuses in 2008, boosting his compensation that year to $435,203.
Volpe, who retired at 57, receives a pension this year of $166,332. His pension likely would be about $110,000 had he received more typical annual salary hikes of 4 percent instead of the huge hike and bonus in 2008.
In another case, Park District finance director Kenneth Swan received a five-year contract that called for bonuses of about $75,000 a year. He has not yet retired.
After almost two hours of residents’ comments and then a closed meeting of only commissioners, Board President Lorenz Werhane Jr. rattled off the plan, which did not include board members stepping down as the crowd had wished.
The plan:
• The district will hire an independent counsel to review the pension and pay packages for Swan and Volpe. Park District Commissioner Cal Bernstein clarified the point, adding that the board hopes to recoup some of the money it handed out and had promised to these employees.
• Board members will not discuss or make comments about the issue until a full inquiry has been completed.
• The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund will make a presentation to the board and public. No date has been set, but it’s expected to take place in September, said Liz McElroy, district executive director.
• There will be a report on the financial impact the pay and pensions have had on the district, comparing what would have been a normal increase to what was handed out by the board.
• The district will form financial, administration and legal committees to advise the board. The exact nature of these committees has not been determined yet, McElroy said.
• A compensation study will be conducted by an independent consultant or district staff, comparing district salaries with those of other communities.
• Board members will meet with state Rep. Karen May, D-Highland Park, to discuss state reforms to the pension system.
• District staff will create a timeline to report to the public about implementation of this plan.
• The district will update its web site with its budget and monthly financial statements.
The Monday meeting was largely a repeat of an Aug. 19 gathering where about 100 residents at the Highland Park Community House expressed their outrage to the board.
Those who spoke out wanted three board members – Werhane, Nancy Rosenbaum and Stacy Weiss, who had voted for pay packages – to step down. All three declined to follow suit.
Werhane said this special meeting had been called to hear more comments and to outline the plan to the public.
Most of the residents who spoke out Monday demanded the resignations of the three commissioners.
“…Lorry Werhane, if you truly mean what you say about being devoted to the Highland Park Park District, then you will do what is right,” said Lori Flores Weisskopf, who recently announced that she’s running for the park board in April. “You must step down and allow for new direction of this board. I, like so many in this room, ask that you please resign.”
Despite the crowd’s overwhelming resignation requests, commissioners gave no indication they were willing to step down.
“I will not resign,” Werhane told the crowd many times.
Going against the crowd’s consensus, Highland Park resident Steven Chilow was one of the few who did not want board members to leave their volunteer posts.
“No one died here. No one lost their health,” Chilow said. “No doubt there’s a problem here — a procedural problem. Let this board come to us and show us there has been a change. Give them the chance to correct this issue. It is not acceptable to publicly attack these people.”
