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player ready...Allegations of a possible conflict of interest involving a village trustee led Tinley Park officials Tuesday night to reactivate an ad hoc committee with an eye toward strengthening the town’s ethics ordinance.
According to a memo to Mayor Ed Zabrocki from Village Atty. Terrence Barnicle, the review was spurred by disclosures that the wife of Trustee Ken Fulton did real estate work for the village’s cable TV provider while Fulton negotiated the recently renewed contract with that company.
Barnicle’s memo says that, though this does appear to be a technical violation of the ordinance, it could violate the spirit of the law.
Fulton said he “plain missed the boat on that” and filed a new disclosure statement Tuesday. Fulton unsuccessfully opposed Zabrocki in last year’s election.
The three-person ethics panel first was established about two years ago in order to help draft that ordinance, which requires elected officials to disclose their occupations and those of family members, along with certain property owned by themselves or family members and business interests involving the village.
The committee also will study the possibility of adopting a whistle-blower law, which provides penalties for corrupt officials exposed by citizens and protects the whistle-blowers.