Marengo residents - Wake Up

Notice to all City of Marengo residents. There will be an important City Council meeting on Monday night that will affect you. And, likely, your taxes. And the future of your city.

On Monday, January 9, the Marengo City Council is poised to select a new City Administrator. According to sources, the post will carry a total compensation package of about $150,000/year. How's that going to fit in your pocketbooks? Think that's a little "rich" for a community of less than 8,000 residents? Some think so.

The last manager left (was fired?) with two years left on her employment contract. That decision by the City Council should have cost you $188,000, but a little "negotiating" cut that to a six-month pay-off, or to a "mere" $47,000. Why did the City Council help her out the door? And why did she accept $47,000 in settlement of a $188,000 obligation?

Watch carefully for the Minutes of the Executive Session, in which the Council discussed terminating the previous City Manager. Find out whether you will be entitled to learn more before the Minutes and the required audio recording are destroyed.

What will the deal be with the new hire? Will he say "No deal" to a two- or three-year contract? Think he won't be worried about taking a new job and getting canned any time soon?

Try to find the Agenda for Monday's meeting on the City's website at www.cityofmarengo.com Good luck! I'm still looking...Hint: it's not under Public Notices. The link to the Public Calendar and clicking on Monday's meeting won't lead you to the Agenda. Try this: Hover over "About Us" and then click on "Meeting Minutes & Agendas".

Note that two Executive Sessions are planned for Monday night. During the first the Council members will probably be lining up their ducks for appointing the new City Administrator and the terms of his employment, including compensation. Then the Council will return to Open Session, which requires its own new rollcall. Watch for that.

Then comes the Public Comment period. Better know what you are going to say, because you only get two minutes in which to say it. Who has the timer? Be ready to speak your piece. Have it written down. Better time yourself at home, so that you don't get cut off at 2 minutes 1 second. Don't just make a statement. Ask a question. Or two. If you want your question answered that night, say so.

Notice too that the City Council apparently does not permit citizen comment when the agenda item is actually discussed by the Council. Are you in Chicago or Marengo???

Looks to me like Marengo is out of compliance with the Open Meetings Act for not posting the Minutes of the November 3-5, 2011, meetings promptly after they were approved. Assuming, of course, that those Minutes of the November 3-5 meetings were recorded and approved. Were they?

On the bright side? It's nice to see that Marengo starts its City Council meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance.