QUINCY — Tension between the Mayor Mike Troup and the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners has resurfaced.
During the public comments period at Tuesday night’s Quincy City Council meeting, Police and Fire Commission Chair Barry Cheyne said the commission unanimously approved a three-year contract for Quincy Police Chief Adam Yates, but that the agenda item was removed by Mayor Mike Troup’s office.
Yates was named chief in May after Jonathan Lewin, a Chicago Police Department veteran declined to accept the position. Yates was subject to a six-month probationary period.
“The city clerk was instructed to remove the agenda item by the mayor without rationale, and without consultation with the Fire and Police Commission,” Cheyne said during the comment period. “This action is contrary to the city’s business practices and the municipal code.”
Alderman Jeff Bergman, R-2, asked when the item was expected to appear in front of the council.
Troup responded that he would give an update during Tuesday’s executive session following the open meeting. Troup cited two statutes for moving to executive session, one to allow approval of previous executive session minutes, and a second to address the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees.
The only item listed on the public agenda regarding the executive session was the review of previous minutes. Nothing was noted that personnel issues would be discussed.
Alderman Richie Reis, D-6, asked Troup if it was normal to have items removed from the agenda.
“I think if you asked the aldermen, there’s a mixed feeling,” Troup said. “I think it’s clear that the (director of administrative services) and the Mayor can move things if it’s not ready to be on the agenda for the public. And this is something we need to get in to executive session. I think the picture will be less foggy.”
Reis said he felt it would at least be appropriate to inform the person who put the item on the agenda as to why it was removed. When Troup responded that he had, Cheyne said that was not correct.
“I was called and told the item had been removed from the agenda,” he said. “I called and talked to the city clerk, and after speaking with her I called and left a message for the mayor for a return call.”
After the open session meeting was over, Cheyne said the Fire and Police Commission found no reason to delay the contract, saying that Yates met and exceeded all conditions placed on him during the six-month probationary period.
“At the 11th hour, there was a call for an extension, but we didn’t see anything substantive that would change our position,” Cheyne said. “So at our December 13 meeting, we unanimously decided that Chief Yates was worthy of a three-year term appointment and that was effective on December 21.
“That’s what I know,” he added. “Anything else is in the mayor’s ballcourt, and whatever issue he’s got going on, I can’t talk about because I’m not sure what it is.”
Tensions between the mayor’s office and the board have been chilly since Troup introduced an ordinance to give his office the authority to appoint chiefs for both police and fire departments. It was introduced weeks after Quincy Fire Chief Bernie Vahlkamp was appointed, though Troup said it wasn’t in response to the hire.
That ordinance was tabled indefinitely in October 2021. In February, Troup replaced Kerry Anders on the commission with former Adams County Board Chairman Mike McLaughlin. Troup said Anders’s term had ended in January, even though questions were raised that the City Code suggested commissioners serve to the end of the municipal year.
Before the issue of his contract came up, Yates swore in four new officers. Yates also gave an update on the state of manpower for the department.
The new officers will make up about a third of the current officer shortage in the department.
“We’re currently down 12 officers,” Yates said, “so this will still leave us eight short, but this will help us keep our head above the water.”
The four new officers are Joel Siebers, Brady Bockenfeld, Tyler Kent, and Blaine Venvertloh. Officers Siebers and Bockenfeld will begin their training at the Southwestern Illinois College’s Police Academy in Belleville on Jan. 4, while officers Kent and Venvertloh will report to the Police Training Institute in Champaign on Jan. 8.
Yates said 2023 will likely see other officers retire or move on from the department for other reasons, but that these hires are in anticipation of those departures to try and keep the department staffing at workable levels.
In addition to the four sworn officers, two new auxiliary officers were appointed. Cathy Cornett and Paula Wilken will join the auxiliary ranks, assisting with details such as traffic control at community events when needed.
“They went through our Citizens Police Academy Course and learned about the auxiliary officers, so they decided to join up and lend a hand,” Yates said.
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