Trustee’s attendance called out

Voting on committee appointments, often a formality for elected bodies, sparked a discussion about whether a Belgium trustee is fit to serve at Monday’s Village Board meeting.

Trustee Dale Pfeifer was to be appointed to the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Committee, but new committee chairman Don Gotcher said he will only have two of the three committee members at the meetings — himself and newly appointed trustee Victor Lecato — “unless I hold a meeting on a Saturday. Something just doesn’t seem right to me.

“I hate to say this, but I think we should take up a discussion on whether Dale should be a member of the board or not, simply because he cannot fulfill his duties,” Gotcher said.

Pfeifer rarely attends board meetings since he was moved from third shift to second at Oshkosh Truck about a year and a half ago. He did not attend Monday’s meeting.

The board wasn’t legally allowed to discuss the issue since it wasn’t on the agenda. Clerk Julie Lesar said she will put it on the agenda for the August Village Board meeting.

“We’ve had this happen in the past now and then and asked people to step down,” Trustee Clem Gottsacker said.

Village President Pete Anzia said, “If it makes a difference, Dale’s term is up in April.”

But, Gotcher said, “we still run it one short until April.”

Anzia, who used to chair the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Committee, said he scheduled meetings on Saturday mornings.

“To accommodate one person,” Gotcher said. “I don’t know if I want to do that or not. Most weekends I’m not even in town.”

Anzia said the committee doesn’t hold many meetings since “there’s not a whole lot to talk about.”

Pfeifer is also on the Public Services Committee.

Village Board minutes show Pfeifer has attended three of 24 Village Board meetings since 2017, a 12.5% attendance rate.

His absences hadn’t created an issue in voting until May when the board had to appoint a new village president to succeed Vickie Boehnlein after she was hired as village treasurer.

Four votes are required to choose a new village president, and the five members of the board — Pfeifer was absent and Boehnlein had already resigned — couldn’t reach that number after two votes were taken, one that went 3-2 for Gottsacker and then 3-2 for Anzia. 

The board noted that Pfeifer’s vote could have broken the tie. He attended the June meeting and voted for Anzia, who earned the required four votes.

The board on Monday approved the committee appointments — which also included Anzia being named to the Finance and Personnel Committee and Lecato to the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Committee — 4-1. Gotcher voted against, and Anzia abstained.

Trustees do not receive an annual salary. They are paid $60 for each board meeting they attend and $40 for each committee meeting.

The next board meeting is Aug. 13.