Four University Park trustees held a special meeting Tuesday and voted to fire the special attorney in the Aqua Illinois lawsuit and the village lobbyist.
Trustee Theo Brooks, who was appointed board chair due to Mayor Joesph Roudez’s absence, announced the resignation of Nina Fain, who was special counsel for the village in the ongoing lawsuit against Aqua Illinois for allegedly not providing safe drinking water to University Park.
“She resigned. She left a beautiful letter and I’m going to give her a good response because her and I always had a good relationship,” Brooks said.
The agenda was posted Friday, Brooks said, and by Monday afternoon Fain sent in a resignation letter, Brooks said. The board’s legislative attorney said the board still had to vote to terminate Fain’s contract because it was an agenda item, he said.
The board voted 4-0 to terminate Fain, with Roudez and trustees Janelle McFadden and Karen Lewis absent. Without discussion, the board voted 4-0 to remove village lobbyist Frank Bass.
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Trustee Donna Fulcher said she voted to terminate Bass because she found out that he pushed for a bill that would have created a University Park development authority board to focus on redeveloping vacant and underutilized properties throughout the village, which she feels would’ve limited the Village Board’s powers.
“That was something that I didn’t care for or know,” Fulcher said.
Fulcher said she called Bass to learn more about what he did for the village, and he forwarded her emails he sent to the village manager with grant recommendations.
Brooks also said he voted to terminate Bass because of his push for the development board. When he learned about the bill recently, Brooks said he was “blindsided” by it.
Additionally, Brooks said he did not like how closely Bass seemed to work with Roudez.
“I felt he did not operate in the best interest of the village,” Brooks said.
Bass declined to comment. Fain could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Brooks said he voted to terminate Fain because the village was paying about $5,000 a month for her services but not much was being done to help residents.
Trustee Jewell Thompson said she voted to terminate Fain because during the board’s July meeting, Fain came to give a presentation.
Thompson said when she asked Fain about her role in the lawsuit, Fain didn’t give her a clear answer. When Thompson asked Fain who advocates for the village in the lawsuit, Fain said the attorney general’s office advocates for the village.
“We don’t need to spend money for no reason. It’s a waste of money,” Thompson said.
Fulcher agreed with Thompson adding that the presentation held in July was Fain’s opportunity to tell the trustees and residents about all the work she’s done.
“We gave her a chance,” Fulcher said. “But it was nothing she actually does.”
Trustee Gina Williams said she listened in on some of the court hearings in the Aqua case and that Fain wasn’t present.
“I just feel that there was not enough being done by Ms. Fain as far as Aqua,” Williams said. “I wish her well, but I think more could’ve been done.”