Below is a copy of a citation issued in DeKalb last spring for the ordinance violation of “Fighting within the City.” According to a file obtained via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, the person connected to the violation ended up owing the city $1,147.50 for this violation and was sent to collections. I asked…
Tag: Freedom of Information Act
DeKalb must overhaul ordinances if it insists on prosecuting kids
***2nd Update 10/7/2022: This week in the DeKalb Municipal Code I’ve found a provision for “court supervision” that includes community service, but am leaving this recommendation in the post because at this point I don’t know if or how it’s used. ***Update 9/15/2022: Pro Publica is hosting a virtual event on the subject of police…
A sexual harassment complaint against a housing authority employee
***UPDATE 7/6/22*** Housing authority has released the complaints as the PAC requested. They’re the same as the ones I obtained from an alternative source, except the authority has redacted personal information from them. I’ve placed the file in the FB group, here. In January 2022, on a tip, I sent a Freedom of Information Act…
Determination: DeKalb must release locations of license plate readers
The Public Access Counselor of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office has determined that City of DeKalb improperly denied a Freedom of Information Act request for the locations of its license plate reader cameras (LPRs). DeKalb fought release of the information beyond all reason. This post examines three ways the city embarrassed itself doing it. The…
Determination: housing authority must release complaint against its employee
The Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor (PAC) has informed the local housing authority that it must release a sexual harassment complaint against one of its employees. Last winter, it came to my attention that a sexual harassment complaint against an employee of the Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb (HACD) had been sent…
Opinion: housing authority should avoid promoting from within
Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb (HACD) is losing its executive director, Shelly Perkins. This is an excellent development. It presents the HACD board with a fresh opportunity to address the unprofessional workplace culture there, by hiring an outsider and encouraging additional management departures. Having observed HACD for about nine months and collected hundreds…
DeKalb’s ‘Suburban’ issue of fire safety
***Update 8/6/2022*** DeKalb city council is expected to approve an intergovernmental agreement during its regular meeting on August 8 that specifies a developer buying the Suburban property, the city annexing it and connecting it to city water, and DeKalb County providing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds of $862,500 for the water infrastructure improvements. Agenda…
Nursing home sales and ownership, and our local situation
Recently the DeKalb County Board signed a contract with Marcus & Millichap (M&M) that has two phases: first, M&M as consultant in deciding what to do with our DeKalb County Rehab & Nursing Center (DCRNC); and secondly, M&M as broker of a sale with a 3% commission attached. If this sounds like a conflict of…
Letter urges investigation of the housing authority’s contracts with the mayor’s IT firm
Derek Van Buer’s latest letter to DeKalb County Board regarding Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb (HACD) urges authorities to investigate evident irregularities with HACD’s service contracts with the DeKalb mayor’s firm, Sundog IT, including allegations that HACD is not following HUD procurement rules nor its own procurement policies in approving and executing contracts…
Letter informs DeKalb County of an illegal stipend paid to a housing authority commissioner
Derek Van Buer has been filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the housing authority since last summer, and now is summarizing concerns he’s found for the DeKalb County Board (and where applicable, HUD officials). The first letter to the county, which alleges the housing authority has failed to follow travel reimbursement policies, is…