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Village agenda item on potential charges appears, disappears

DARIEN — A discussion regarding potential charges against the police chief disappeared from a Darien Village Board meeting agenda six hours after the agenda was issued.

The village at 10 a.m. Thursday announced it was holding a closed session meeting today to "consider potential charges" against Police Chief Hunter Gilmore.

At 4:30 p.m. Thursday, the village announced the meeting agenda had been amended, and the "discussion regarding potential charges has been withdrawn."

No reason was given, and officials would not comment about the discussion of potential charges on the earlier agenda.

The agenda issued at 10 a.m. included a routine discussion and action on a condominium development, and a motion to go into closed session for the purpose of "considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation of data of any public employee," "the dismissal, demotion, licensing or discipline of any public employee," or "the investigation of charges against such person, to consider potential charges against the chief of police."

Village Administrator Diana Dykstra said she could not comment about the meeting, nor would she say if there had or had not been an investigation of the chief.

On Thursday afternoon, Gilmore said "there wouldn't be a meeting." He declined to say why.

Board President Evelyn Etten, Dykstra and Gilmore did not return calls after the meeting agenda was amended at 4:30 p.m.

Today's meeting would have been the second closed-session meeting about the chief in less than two months.

A joint personnel and village board meeting was held Aug. 27 to "review the performance of the police chief."

After that meeting, Etten said the board did not discuss any disciplinary issues.