The Silver Lake Village Board formally accepted the resignation of Barb Ironside from her village trustee seat at Wednesday’s regular board meeting.
Village President Sue Gerber read Ironside’s resignation letter, which cited personal reasons, a new job and ongoing unresolved health problems as taking too much of her time for her to fulfill her trustee duties.
The board accepted the resignation unanimously.
Here is video of rreading Ironside’s resignation letter:
Before the vote, Trustee Soti Wilber questioned Gerber as to why the news of Ironside’s unofficial resignation by email was published at westofthei.com before other trustees knew.
“The press shouldn’t be the first one to have it,” Trustee Pat Dunn said.
Gerber replied that she thought Ironside had contacted all board members.
“I thought she had sent it to everyone,” Gerber said.
Note: For the sake of clarity, here’s how the story Wilber referred to came about. I heard the rumor that Ironside had resigned. When Ironside had resigned before, village attorney Linda Gray had said a board resignation was official when it was received by the clerk and village president. So I sent Gerber and village Clerk Terry Faber an email asking if Ironside had resigned. Gerber replied that Ironside had by email, but she considered that unofficial because it was not signed. That’s what I reported. I did not receive a reply from Faber. — DH
The board earlier tabled a new ordinance regarding filling board vacancies. The ordinance was proposed by Gerber and basically encapsulated suggestions made by resident Bruce Francart earlier this year after Wilber was appointed by a majority of the board to fill Gerber’s trustee seat after Gerber won the village president seat in April. That was controversial because Wilber had received the least amount of votes among six trustee candidates in the April 2013 election.
Gerber said her new appointment ordinance would have three options for filling vacancies: Appoint the person who received the next highest votes in the nearest election, solicit letters of intent with the village president narrowing the options for a board vote or leaving the seat vacant until the next election.
Some board members challenged Gerber’s process of the village president narrowing the candidates to be voted on by the board. Gerber said she felt that process would help avoid the board being stacked by a board majority faction.
The ordinance was tabled so it could be discussed at a Committee of the Whole meeting.
“I’m sorry we’re not getting any resolution on this,” Gerber said to Francart, who was in the audience.
“I didn’t think you would,” Francart replied.
Wilber then said “I think that last comment was inappropriate.”
Oh my…..President Gerber wants to submit the SAME criteria for filling vacant board appointments that was SOUNDLY REJECTED by the board last time. She’s back to the “I get to pick(and choose!) who the 3 members are. While she once again accuses her board members of “STACKING” the board(her words, not mine…see above article), she has no problem “stacking” (my words!)the list of potential candidates with HER cronies. If 10 people submit letters of intent, one would assume all 10 have a vested interest in filling a vacant seat. Why not let the board interview all 10 candidates(or whatever the number is) and pick a viable candidate. Why only 3? Why only Sue Gerber gets to select those 3? The board did not fall for her ruse last time, and I seriously doubt they will again this time. I am somewhat disappointed that audience members will no longer be able to scream and shout epithets from the back of the room. I truly enjoyed that.