Several residents used the public‑comment period to press the Village Board to fix perceived failures in the permitting and enforcement process.

Robert Ross, a land surveyor, told the board he had filed a records request and obtained DNR correspondence about the pond work. Ross said the village has “a great deal of confusion with county and zoning staff about what is a private garage,” and questioned how permits could be declared compliant while fines stayed outstanding.

Jean Rowton (recorded as Jean Roten in the meeting packet) said she bought a property expecting prior permits to be in order and has spent nearly $20,000 to address electrical and compliance issues. Rowton said she applied multiple times to village staff for guidance on an addition and got slow or no responses, and that a conditional use permit for kennels had not been consistently referenced when she sought building guidance.

Resident Brian Filiatro described the visible damage to the pond area and criticized social media commentary by a trustee suggesting the work was “no big deal.” He told the board, “It’s a big deal...our village went into a C1 wetland and did work they shouldn't have done.”

Why it matters: Complainants said the delays and mixed messaging are harming residents and risking unequal treatment between private citizens and the village. Multiple speakers asked the board to address permit staffing, transparency and a possible review of staff‑trustee interactions that were described as creating the “appearance of weaponization.”

Board response and staff notes: Trustees and staff acknowledged gaps and said some items are already on planning and zoning agendas or budgeted updates. Administrator and planning staff were asked to examine existing procedures, provide clearer timelines, and consider a commission or process changes to make permit review more consistent. No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting.

Ending: Residents urged the board to place permitting-process reform on a near-term agenda; board members said the planning commission and staff would continue work on zoning updates that could address some of the problems.