At her last meeting as Silver Lake village president, Sue Gerber Wednesday attempted to slate a referendum on whether the village should eliminate its own police department and contract with the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department for police protection.
Gerber made a motion to hold the referendum after reading a statement regarding Tuesday night’s public hearing on the sheriff’s department proposal.
In her statement, Gerber said the issue of dissolving the police department was too important to be dealt with just by the Village Board.
“I do not feel it is fair to this community for police officers to decide their own fate. Nor do I feel feel this board should make a decision about police coverage in this community,” Gerber said. “I don’t even feel it should be up to the new board. This situation come up once before and it was brought to a referendum for the people to decide.”
But during discussion of the motion, objections were raised by some trustees.
Trustee Patrick Dunn contended it was improper for the board to hold a referendum on a decision about a contract.
Trustee Michael Decker, who did not run for re-election and also was at his last meeting, protested that the board should make the decision and not defer to a referendum.
“We have a seven-person board to make these decisions,” Decker said. “We’re elected, we’re paid to make these decisions.”
Decker went on to allege that some people on the board who were not re-elected — presumably including Gerber — were now reversing their position on contracting with the sheriff’s department.
“I understand that certain people on the board that go voted off kind of want to make a statement contradictory to where they were at two months ago,” Decker said.
Eventually the audience got involved in the discussion and Gerber eventually withdrew her motion on the referendum.
Here is video of about 12 minutes of the back and forth that continued for about 30 minutes (Technical difficulties mean the video and audio are out of sync. Sorry about that. — DH):
Unfortunate that Sue Gerber had to, again, dig herself a hole, at a meeting which would be her last in public office.
Unfortunate that she did not walk out of the meeting as a classy person and chose instead to perpetuate turmoil to the last second.
If you lose, you walk away; at best, you advise, but you do not attempt to govern.
If you lose, you act graciously, and respect the new authority; and you don’t badger the audience.
If you lose, you definitely don’t smirk at employees or make them out to be less than truthful in a public forum.
On so many levels, Mrs Gerber, you did not represent yourself well, evidenced in this long lasting video.
Your intentions over the last two years may have been well intended but decision making processes not on the high scale. I hope the decision making approaches and execution are going to change for the better beginning with the first meeting of the new board.
So unfortunate that Sue Gerber acts the way she does. I am happy with our new elected folks and look forward to working with them. I still feel we need to bring a civil suit against Sue for her rolls in the Library, Lawyer fees and Fire/Rescue issues. She by far is the worst leader Silver Lake has ever seen.
Mr. Dunn was front and center and the record shows he voted for the library purchase. Funny how little things like DETAILS are left out of your posts. Say what you want about Ms. Gerber, she at least tried to change things. More than you could say for Mr. Albrecht’s time in office. Kicked the problems down the road for others, great leader.
The members (Pat Dunn included) voted to look into the financing OPTIONS for the library. They did not vote to approve the actual purchase. How about you check your facts before you spew more lies, hate and discontent.
Sue just went and bought it without even getting board approval for the actual spend. There should have been one more approval meetingbefore that library was purchased, but she just took it upon herself to force it through.
While it was found by a lazy D.A. to not be illegal, it sure was unethical at a minimum.
What about Pat D? Yes I did vote for the Library. My vote was to investigate the possibility of buying the building because it sounded like a good deal. We were told by Ms. Gerber and the Clerk that they would be getting back to us on the loan costs and the interest rate the bank would be charging. Instead they went ahead and bought the building without a resolution as is required. More actions in secret! We were told that the other communities would be helping us to pay for the building and we knew the may not happen, which it did not. It is still amazing how fast the “deal” for the building was closed before we, the board at the time, got all the information we asked.
It sure is a good thing everyone in the village has a short memory. I’m sure this time around the replacing of the majority of the board will turn out just great! What ever happened to candidates running for the board because they wanted to better the Village they live in for everyone? The last 3 elections all we get is people running because of personal agendas. Truly sad.
See Pat… See Pat do nothing… See pats friends get elected… Hear pat finally actually say something bc now with the backing of his fellow muppets he thinks he’s someone lol
Sincerely your neighboring village onlooker!
Ps dh what are all the facts for police services? Missed the meeting but hearing talk of per milage charges and no police after 11pm? What’s true?
@Scooter: There were a lot of facts to include, so I am sorry I did not include some you consider important. There is a per mile charge, but the village won’t be otherwise maintaining a vehicle. Sheriff Beth said he feels two shifts of dedicated village coverage would be sufficient based on the call data he has seen. That would end at 11 p.m. After that, calls in Silver Lake would be answered by other deputies on patrol, as they are during the four hours each night currently that a SLPD officer is not on duty. Hope that clears that up.
So mr Dunn how many village workers lives did you and your co hoards play roulette with when you tried to dissolve the village??? That was ok but now it’s not ok with police officers??? I personally don’t believe it’s ok with either! However I also tried to ask many of you what would happen with our fellow neighbors jobs and the response was always that we should all have a plan b in our careers! Quite interesting hypocracy. Kind of like the rescue squad “contract” yes that’s right Contract was good enought for referendum but now the police “contract” isn’t? Could that be bc your co hoards recently got elected now the board is “good” enough to make decisions?
Scooter you seem to need some help with your anger issues. If you give us your real name we can send someone over to give you a hug.
Thank you DH! I personally feel the 11pm deal is big bc as they say nothing good happens after mid night. There are a few pubs in town I’d hate for something to occur at one and the nearest deputy be 15 min away…
that Scooter didnt attend the meeting (where he would have received information) and complains about a report far better than any given by his president or the Kenosha News – and with a video. A real video!
Scooter could also have called the president and asked, or the clerk, and asked, for information. I am certain they would both have been willing to offer the info.
The answer to a complaint of inadequate coverage is to BE THERE YOURSELF!
If it is important to you, make plans and attend.
If you cannot attend, send someone and tape it.
All the tools and the methodologies to gain info are available to you in this era of 2015!
What an incredible display of poor leadership our outgoing village president displayed at this meeting. Remember when Chief Kingsley was supposedly “run out of town”? Really? He left of his own accord and now Sue informs us she has been speaking with him to see what “options” are available to run our police department. Of course, none of the other board members knew about her “discussions”. Her attempt to ram-rod a “referendum” down the villagers throats was a classic “back door” move that her tenure has been notorious for. Kudos to Mike Decker for setting her straight. Her mismanagement of our village affairs, with the backing of most of the board members will haunt us for years to come. But I believe our new board is up to the challenge.
How ironic that Sue does not believe the the members of the Silver Lake Police Department should decide their fate, but had no trouble letting the members of the Silver Lake Rescue Squad to EXACTLY THAT for YEARS!!! SLRS had a pretty sweet deal going, especially once they “stacked” the village board. Well folks, that gravy train has been derailed.
Given the repeated references that a losing candidate made referring to “One & Dunn” during the recent election, perhaps a more appropriate monniker would be “El-Done”, as in ALL DONE. In the meantime, “One More Time Dunn” will continue to be a watchdog for the citizens, as he has always been.
I choose to get my facts from DH who was at the meeting so pretty sure I used a 2015 method… You rather I just believe hearsay and rumors? I thought maybe it would be commended that I didnt just go with hearsay and took initiative to seek all the facts… Geez what is it with you guys no person outside the inner circle can do right in your book
Is that what we call it now when someone collects a paycheck without doing any work? I do think its entertaining to watch the meetings when Mr. Dunn starts talking and I can see Albrecht’s lips moving. It’s a shame Mr. Albrecht wasn’t so passionate and interested in helping the residents of Silver Lake when he was on the board.
Not only is Mr. Dunn a “watchdog”…..he is a BULL DOG as well! He NEVER backed down to the bullies, and continues to ask the tough questions. He has never been a “rubber stamp” and won’t be. Apparently, that’s what most of the voters approve of, since he was re-elected AGAIN! Remember that old Jim Croce song…”you don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit into the wind, you don’t pull the mask off the ol’ Lone Ranger, and you don’t mess around with DUNN”!!!
AS we move into a new political era in our village, listen to the melody of that old Buffalo Springfield song: “Come on people, smile on your brother, everybody get together, try to love one another right now”. Reading the websites of the “Villager” candidates during the campaign, their “love for our village” seemed to be a common thread. Woven in with their nasty comment about “the dissolvers”. Think I”m kidding, go to the websites, read, judge for yourself. Unfortunately, the “olive branch” they tried to offer is “dripping with venom”. Not quite sure how that plays out for the village they claim to “love so much”. Good luck to the new board, you will overcome your detractors and move this village forward!
Ah..”Scooter”…..time to put your bullet back in your uniform shirt pocket!! Before Andy comes and takes it away from you, Barney!
Typical West of the I, Bernard gets three posts in a row put up on this site, yet others are censored.
@typical. Currently, potentially libelous statements, profanity, name calling, alleging criminal wrong doing that has not been charged in court or discussed at a public meeting are among the reasons comments will not be approved. A lot of the comments associated with the same email address you used to file your comment do not meet our standards — repeatedly in fact. We are working on a new set of comment standards which we will publish which we hope will make what is and is not allowed clearer to everyone. But suffice to say calling people mentally handicapped, a chronic drunk, a simpleton etc. still are not going to be allowed. Also, we don’t engage in censorship; only the government can do that.
Calling someone Barney Fife, an officer who was so inept he couldn’t carry a bullet in his gun, is ok though? How about the continual comments made above about Sue Gerber? Funny how you pick an chose the rules based on who the poster is. I will no longer post or visit your website. Good luck.
I think Mr.(Mrs?)Punsley nailed it when referring to the losing candidates bashing their opponents on the websites during the recent election. They continue to make insinuations about our new board and their “agenda”. Go to the “dissolvenever” website and check out the comments for yourself. Apparently, Ms. Folgers still does not grasp that not only did the voters see through their thinly veiled “rescue squad” agenda platform, they solidly REJECTED it was well. Seems for every comment Sandra makes on her website, the next one is a retraction. Keep on nitpicking, I think our new board members have some pretty firm shoulders!