GOV, Monday's board meeting [D209]

Proviso Probe covered the meeting.

But you can get other perspectives from Pioneer Press (John Huston) and Forest Park Review (Seth Stern).

Pioneer Press:

The District 209 School Board was scheduled to vote on switching its attorney Monday night, but minutes into the meeting the item was yanked from the agenda.

It was a Melrose Park-centered issue.

Board member and Melrose Park resident Gary Marine admitted placing the item to replace the law firm of Odelson & Sterk, which has represented the District 209 Board since 2001, with Giglio & Del Galdo -- village attorneys for Melrose Park.

Marine is also employed by the village of Melrose Park.

Forest Park Review:

Out of the 66 items on the agenda at the Proviso High School District 209 school board meeting Monday night, the one that drew the most attention was the one that was not even voted upon.

That item was a proposal to remove the law firm Odelson and Sterk as the school district’s general counsel and replace them with the firm Giglio and Del Galdo, LLP.

At the outset of the meeting, after emerging from a closed session meeting that lasted nearly two hours, board President Chris Welch announced that the item had been pulled from the agenda at the request of board member Gary Marine.

Over Marine’s objections, Welch said that he would allow public comment regarding the issue during the portion of the meeting typically reserved for comment concerning items on the agenda. Burt Odelson of Odelson and Sterk then proceeded to blast Marine, who requested that the item be placed on the agenda in the first place.