Well Brookfield’s PEP board and village manager forced out a very competent police chief, why? Now I include the board even though Manager Keith Sbiral claims the move was his decision only.
I would agree that the village manager should have authority over his staff, but I would also hope that releasing a member of his management team that he inherited would be discussed with the village president at a minimum. That would probably include Trustee Michael Garvey’s OK, also.
I recall that when I was a trustee, Manager Sbiral, then a member of Rick Ginex’s management team, didn’t seem to like the relationship between Rick and Chief Stelter. Since they both had the connection of law enforcement experiences between them, they probably had a closer relationship than other staff members at the time. I hope this decision was not due to that.
I would hope President Kit Ketchmark would have asked Manager Sbiral what direction he wanted to go in. How had he directed the chief to help him move the department in that direction?
Before discarding these eight years of investment in this manager, what have you done to achieve the results you wish from this position? How have you managed this position that you feel the objectives cannot be met with this individual? And why?
These are all questions that should have been asked along the decision-making process that frankly I do not think Ketchmark understands.
Now our department will be starting from scratch with probably a new person in this type of management position and we start the learning curve all over again. Brookfield loses again with PEP.
They keep costing us money and time.
Michael Towner
Brookfield
Michael Towner is a former Brookfield village trustee.
