Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transparency topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press Westchester board to post forensic-audit materials and explain Enterprise Drive note
Summary
Public commenters at the Jan. 13 Westchester board meeting asked why supporting documents for a forensic audit aren’t posted online, raised concerns about an Enterprise Drive property with a promissory note due soon, and asked for a town hall and more transparency from the board.
Residents used the board’s public-comment period on Jan. 13 to press the Village of Westchester for greater transparency about a forensic audit and to ask what the village plans to do about a property tied to a soon-to-mature promissory note.
Diane Scow told trustees she found two audit files on the village website and said she learned the attorney general’s office had 689 pages of supporting documents tied to the Ackerman investigation into bids, awards and payments related to the village hall and police-department relocation. "Why the 689 pages of supporting documents aren't also posted on the website?" she asked, saying taxpayers paid for the audit and deserve access to its underlying facts.
President Greg Reebel and other trustees responded that the village published the version it received from Ackerman and that board members did not receive a separate 689-page package. Diane Scow said she would send information to the board so staff could follow up.
Erin Nicole, identifying herself as a Westchester resident, raised a related financial question: she said property records for 2315 Enterprise Drive are not visible on commercial real-estate sites and noted a five‑year promissory note on that property that comes due in two months. She asked how the village plans to address the approaching obligation and whether the village is attempting to sell the property.
Multiple residents and some trustees pressed the board for clearer public communication about the strategic plan and suggested holding town halls to explain priorities and how the plan will handle transparency and economic-development goals. The board’s consultant is returning to work on the strategic plan, and staff said more public documentation on implementation steps will be produced as the plan moves forward.
Trustees acknowledged the requests and said staff will follow up. The board did not take immediate policy action during the meeting; members directed staff to provide information and residents were encouraged to submit documentation and questions to the village for follow-up.
