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‘I’m done’: La Salle County land use director storms off amid questioning during board meeting · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: I'm done. Lasal County land Use director storms off amid
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  Speaker 1: questioning during board meeting. Written by Matthias Warner, this article
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  Speaker 1: is being read by an automated voice brought to you
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  Speaker 1: by Everlett. A LaSalle County board member called for the
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  Speaker 1: resignation of a county department head during a contentious meeting
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  Speaker 1: Thursday afternoon, after the department had stormed out in the
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  Speaker 1: middle of the meeting. During a packed meeting at the
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  Speaker 1: Ottawa Knights of Columbus Hall, board member Jim Reid ar
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  Speaker 1: Sandwich questioned LaSalle County Land Use Department Director Brian Gift
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  Speaker 1: about his interactions with the potential buyers of the former
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  Speaker 1: Fox River Resort related to gifts responses to various Freedom
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  Speaker 1: of Information Act requests. Gift said that he had communicated
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  Speaker 1: with an attorney, Ray Melton of the Amundson Davis Law firm,
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  Speaker 1: who was representing Jamil Ahmed sukera wahrt VW resort livingentential
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  Speaker 1: buyer of the resort. The potential sale of the Fox
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  Speaker 1: River Resort in Sheridan has sparked backlash online and in
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  Speaker 1: the community. A copy of the communication acquired by Shaw
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  Speaker 1: Local News Network shows that Gift's first correspondence with Melton
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  Speaker 1: was on Friday, May first, twenty twenty six. I would
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  Speaker 1: like to get the application stattarded, Melton said in those messages.
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  Speaker 1: Gift had addressed the issue of the Fox River Resort
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  Speaker 1: at the County Board's last meeting on Monday, June eighth.
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  Speaker 1: Any redevelopment or change of use to a long term
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  Speaker 1: residential use, such as condominiums or apartments, would require hearing
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  Speaker 1: at the Zoning Board of Appeals, public notices and County
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  Speaker 1: Board approval. Gift said at the time, our office will
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  Speaker 1: continue to monitor for potential change of use and work
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  Speaker 1: with the future owner on making sure that all zoning
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  Speaker 1: approvals are obtained before any change of use. Reid, possessing
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  Speaker 1: a copy of the documents featuring messages with Meldon, said
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  Speaker 1: that Gifts should have come to the board soon with
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  Speaker 1: his interactions with the buyer's representation. If he had this
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  Speaker 1: much contact between the developers and himself, I believe he
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  Speaker 1: should have disclosed that to us, Reid said. Reid began
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  Speaker 1: to ask Gift questions related to his interactions with the
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  Speaker 1: representing attorney and their disclosure, when Gift responded, I'd like
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  Speaker 1: to sit down and review the information. I don't think
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  Speaker 1: it's fair to have an inquisition, Gift said, my office
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  Speaker 1: is completely transparent and I've given out plenty of information.
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  Speaker 1: Reid was about to begin reading information from the acquired
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  Speaker 1: documents through the Freedom of Information Act when LaSalle County
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  Speaker 1: Board Chairman Don Jensen interjected and Gift stormed away from
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  Speaker 1: the podium and out of the meeting. I've had about
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  Speaker 1: enough of this. I'm asking for a little respect up here,
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  Speaker 1: Gift said, I'm done. He then left the hall. Reid
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  Speaker 1: then called for gifts resignation. I want answers on this,
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  Speaker 1: and to me, it is the height of discourtissness to
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  Speaker 1: this entire board that he won't answer questions. Reid said,
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  Speaker 1: he's supposed to answer to this board and to the
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  Speaker 1: voters in this county. I have lost confidence in Brian
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  Speaker 1: and I want his resignation. Residents and attendance at the
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  Speaker 1: meeting cheered, but board member Brian does Diatawa wanted a
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  Speaker 1: review before any decisions were final. I want to review
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  Speaker 1: all the information about this FOYA. I know Brian Gift
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  Speaker 1: to be a non partisan professional. The worst case scenario
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  Speaker 1: is that we just destroyed a man and defamed him,
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  Speaker 1: and I'd feel terrible if that happens. Brian does the
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  Speaker 1: OTAWA said, I don't quite understand what happened today, but
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  Speaker 1: I want to know more and get the information that
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  Speaker 1: was presented by board Member Reid to everyone so that
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  Speaker 1: everyone can make their own independent analysis