Resident Questions Appointment Of Board President: Board Briefs

LEMONT, IL — Lemont resident Melissa Fischer, a former write-in candidate for the library board, voiced her concerns about the reappointment of Vytenis Kirvelaitis as board president at the board's Aug. 13 meeting.

"I have a really hard time writing up my remarks and my thoughts about this, because I am so, so baffled," she said.

Fischer said she was at the meeting to "voice my disappointment in the judgement of the board, specifically your nomination and appointment of Mr. Kirvelaitis, for another board president term."

Kirvelaitis was originally charged with DUI in Darien in November 2018. He was found guilty of DUI in May 2019.

She referenced Kirvelaitis' comment in a Patch article from earlier this year, when Kirvelaitis said, "After all, attention to details and an understanding of the law are important traits."

Kirvelaitis had objected to Fischer's nomination, as well as the nominations of two other candidates, due to discrepancies in signatures on her nomination papers.

"...You all unanimously appointed someone who has a complete disregard for our safety, our community's safety, our children's safety, to be the president of this board," Fischer said.

Kirvelaitis did not respond to Fischer's comments during the meeting.

Outdoor Activity Area Expansion

At the Aug. 13 meeting, Trustee Tom Culcasi shared the library has received a sponsorship at the platinum level from Kids Plus Pediatric Dentistry.

"As a result of that, we were able to finish [the] area off of the children's area," Culcasi said. Four steel picnic tables with umbrellas, two children-size and two adult-size, will be added to the area. The patio area will also be fenced in for the safety of any children.

"That should be done in the next three weeks or so," Culcasi said.

Library Director Sandra Pointon said the sponsorship is paying for the furniture, but the update of the paving and fencing is coming from the library's capital project fund.

Land Acquisition

Trustee Catherine Sanders shared she had received an email from a "neighbor of the library with some real estate."

"He wants to know if the library is interested in talking," Sanders said.

"We'll discuss this in executive session," Kirvelaitis quickly said.

The board then moved into executive session to discuss land acquisition.