Lisle Library District taxpayers footed the bill for 50 people to attend a "holiday staff party" held on Saturday night, January 12, 2013, 7:30-10:30 pm at Mullen's Bar & Grill in Lisle.
The $896.80 bill for the party was was placed on a Lisle Library District credit card assigned to Director Shannon Halikias. The expenditure was authorized by the credit card's user and the Lisle Library's Director, Shannon Halikias.
The Lisle Library "holiday staff party" expense for the event at Mullen's Bar & Grill was recorded as "employee recognition." There are no records of the names of the employees who were invited to the event, no records of the names of the employees who attended the event, and no records of which employees were, in fact, "recognized." There are no records of the number of guests (non-employees) who attended the "staff party" at the public's expense.
Documentation of the "party" event is lacking.
Lisle Watchdog comes to this conclusion after submitting a FOIA to the Lisle Library on Oct 9, 2013 seeking ALL of the documentation, including correspondence and email, related to this taxpayer-funded Saturday night "holiday staff party" event. The responses from the Lisle Library reveal not only a lack of documentation and accountability for the expenditure of public funds for a "holiday staff party," but raise important questions regarding poor records management systems and possible destruction of public records. Also a concern is the justification and priority of use of public funds on a "staff party" or on "employee recognition" (as if one could reasonably call a Saturday night party at a bar "employee recognition") in lieu of spending public funds on more important government functions - such as the need for improvement of records management.
LW specifically requested a copy of the invitation to staff announcing the details of the event - date, time, place, costs, etc. LW specifically requested copies of ALL email between and among staff regarding this event. LW expected to receive, at minimum, a blast email to the entire staff announcing the event details asking for RSVP's in order to make party reservations.
Library's response on Oct 15, 2013 from Library Director Shannon Halikias:
Library: "Invitations - No invitations printed, no documents responsive to this request. A sign was posted in our staff room, and that is not something we would retain as a record."
LW wondered ... No invitation? No documents? No blast email with event details? No RSVP's? Who attended? The sign was destroyed?
Library: "The record of the location is on the receipt and contract as well as date and time."
LW: Records provided show that on Dec 27, 2012 the Library Director signed a contract to reserve the 'pool room' at Mullen's Bar & Grill for 50 people. (how did she know 50 people planned to attend?) The reservation notes a "cash bar." The reservation deposit amount of $820.00 was secured with a library credit card. The final count for the party attendance was due on Jan 9, 2013.
Two weeks before signing the contract, on Dec 13, 2012, the Library Director had emailed two employees involved in the planning of the "holiday staff party":
Library Email to Staff: "We are confirmed for 1/12/2013 for our staff party at Mullen's. We get the room for 3 hours actually! It is reserved from 7:30-10:30... Love & Money is the band playing that evening and they should start about 10:00.... Cash bar for beverages."
LW was concerned when this following response was provided by the Lisle Library Director:
Library: "E-mail - I extracted ones that still exist from my e-mail box that are relevant to the request."
"Still exist???"
LW to Library:
"Please explain the statement: "E-mail - I extracted ones that still exist..." This seems to imply records were deleted.... To be clear, the request was for copies of ".. records of ALL correspondence/email between and among staff regarding the "Employee Christmas Event."
Presumably, the public body has data backup to disk and to tape for disaster recovery and archiving purposes in conformance to law that will facilitate the retrieval of all email, including any inadvertently deleted from a workstation. Also, please provide a copy of the sign posted for this event - an event paid for with public funds."
Library Director: "Subject to possible supplemental emails located by our IT Administrator (our IT Administrator is out of town), you have my emails responsive to your request."
On Oct 22, 2013 - nearly 2 weeks after the FOIA request was submitted - the following response from the Library (after the return of the IT administrator) raises more concerns about records management and destruction of public records:
Library: "1. Re: correspondence/email, we contacted Microsoft (Technical Support) for assistance and expect to have more information from Microsoft later today or tomorrow. 2. Re: a posted sign, we have no documents responsive to your request."
LW followed-up again and asked the Library Director if the "sign," a public record, was destroyed and inquired about tape and disk back-up of public records:
LW to Library: "Are you saying you don't have a tape or disk back-up records management system for disaster recovery and archiving? Are you saying that you destroyed public records without a disposal certificate from the local records commission?"
Without answering the questions, the Library Director "found" and provided a copy of another one of her email's regarding the event:
Nov 9, 2012 email from the Library Director to 56 of the library's 63 employees regarding the "holiday staff party":
Library Director: "...The Library will contribute to nice appetizers and the staff will have access to a cash bar .... I need to know how many people might like to come, guests, and if costs get nutty, if you would be willing to kick in a few bucks."
At the February 20, 2013 Board of Trustees Meeting, the Library Director Shannon Halikias reports:
"The staff wishes to thank the Board for the first annual staff holiday party."
The "Board"?
The Library Board did not pay for this "holiday staff party" - the Lisle Library taxpayers did.
Questions:
1. What is the public purpose of this expenditure of public funds for a "holiday staff party" on a Saturday night at a local bar & grill? Per the Illinois Constitution, public funds can only be used for a public purpose. What was the public purpose?
2. Why isn't there ANY documentation of the names of the persons who attended this event paid for with public funds?
3. Why is it so hard to locate and retrieve email in response to a FOIA? Is the library not in conformance with laws regarding e-discovery?
4. Why would email - public records - at a public body ever be deleted or destroyed? Why would email no longer "exist?" Is it reasonable to believe that none of the 63 library employees emailed each other regarding a "holiday staff party?"
5. Why was the sign announcing the staff party destroyed without approval from the State?
6. Why is spending on a "holiday staff party" a priority over spending on proper records management systems or other government functions and responsibilities?
7. Should there be an investigation regarding destruction of public records?
8. What policies and procedures has the Board put into place regarding documentation and accountability for expenditures such as "holiday staff parties?" Should the Board revise their policies? What improvements need to be made?
9. Should the "First Annual Holiday Staff Party" also be the "Last Annual Holiday Staff Party" at the Lisle Library? How did the Lisle Library survive for 45 years from 1967 to 2012 without the expenditure of public funds for a "Holiday Staff Party"?
10. Should "social committees" and "social events" be funded by tax dollars or with voluntary employee donations?
(originally posted Oct 25, 2013 on Lisle Patch)