Manteno mayor defends attorney change, says she sought temporary restraining order in ongoing dispute

Mayor Lamour used her report to address recent controversy about village counsel and to explain steps she says were necessary to restore orderly government.

"Because of the ongoing conflict and disruption, I have taken the necessary steps to help restore order and allow village government to move forward, including seeking a temporary restraining order," Lamour said, and added that the court was expected to decide on appropriate legal representation the following morning at the Kankakee County Courthouse at 09:00. She told the board that her decision to hire the law firm identified in the meeting was intended to provide stronger counsel amid what she described as obstruction and past legal shortcomings.

Lamour criticized past legal advice and contract processes relating to the Goshen project, saying the former village attorney failed to put written agreements in place to require Goshen to maintain a fire brigade and that prior counsel had advised the board in ways she viewed as improper. She also addressed accusations of racism levied by some residents, saying she was not making personal allegations but highlighting concerns about foreign company behavior and compliance with U.S. laws.

Trustees pushed back on several points. One trustee, responding to Lamour's account of agenda‑posting procedures and the June 25 emergency meeting, said the mayor's description was "not accurate" and noted that elected officials may add items to an agenda and that agendas must be posted 48 hours in advance under the Open Meetings Act. A trustee also said the board would retain counsel to appear in court the following morning.

The meeting contained repeated exchanges about transparency, FOIA requests and whether administrative staff followed proper posting procedures. No formal board vote was recorded that evening on the mayor's decisions; the dispute was described as headed to court the next day.