Village Board Repeals Resolution

Buffalo Grove officials voted unanimously last week to repeal a resolution regarding the destruction of closed-session meeting tapes.

The resolution, which was adopted by the Village Board in 2006, was dismissed in deference to the Illinois Open Meetings Act. Like the state statute, Buffalo Grove's 2006 ordinance allowed the village to destroy audiotapes or videotapes 18 months after closed-session meetings were held.  

Village President Elliott Hartstein said the resolution was repealed "so that we would follow simply the state statute."

Trustee Lisa Stone supported the repeal, but continued to question why the 2006 resolution was adopted nearly 18 months after a closed-session meeting in which trustees discussion environmental matters concerning the Land and Lakes landfill. When Stone requested to listen to the recording of that meeting, officials were unable to locate the tape. Stone has repeatedly voiced concerns as to what became of the recording, which was supposed to be locked up at Village Hall.

Village Clerk Jan Sirabian has taken responsibility for the missing recording, and Hartstein reiterated last week "at no time have we destroyed any tape."

"Perhaps you want to look a little further into what happened to that tape," Stone suggested to Hartstein.