CALUMET — A March 10 letter addressed to Village President Brian Abramson and Chairwoman Leah Polzien of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), as well as Main Street Calumet (MSC), sought answers regarding a 2020 contract between the DDA and MSC.

The letter, written by a small group of village residents, who have asked not to be identified, states that the back door deals of the village council, along with refusals to follow procedures, have got to stop. This including the contract mentioned above.

“In the spirit of government transparency,” the letter begins, the group is requesting seven points from the council, the DDA, and MSC, which include:

1. A public verbal reading of the 2020 contract between the DDA and MSC contractual services, to be recorded in the meeting minutes.

2. That the DDA and MSC submit a written summary of the specific contractual services provided to the DDA.

3. Written documentation as to when the contract was approved.

4. A breakdown of what accounts the money was allocated from, and on what dates MSC received their payments for services.

5. A detailed, itemized summary of expenses from MSC.

6. Proof (state or federal law) that the DDA, as part of the village of Calumet government, operating with taxpayer money, can legally, fiscally support MSC, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

7. That the council investigate whether Leah Polzien heading both the DDA and MSC constituted a conflict of interest at the time the contract was initiated, and since then.

The contract in question dates back to a Dec. 10, 2019, DDA board meeting, at which there was a discussion of a proposed service agreement between the DDA and MSC. The agreement provided a payment of $10,000 annually to MSC to provide services as listed in the agreement.

Village Manager Caleb Katz replied to the March 10 letter, in which he responded to the requests point by point.

“Upon reviewing the letter,” he stated, “the village is treating paragraphs three and five as a Freedom of Information ACT (FOIA) request.”

The other numbered paragraphs do not request documents, he continued, but rather request that the village and/or the DDA take specific actions or create documents. The Freedom of Information Act does not require the creation of documents, he said.

Paragraph three, requesting written documentation as to when the contract was approved, Katz said, can not be provided, because “no document exists that is responsive to your request.”

Katz explained that is because no contract exists between the DDA and MSC.

“The contract between the DDA and Main Street Calumet was approved at at the DDA meeting of Dec. 10, 2019,” he wrote. “The contract was not approved at a village council meeting.”

Pursuant to Ordinance 110, he explained, the village council has neither the authority nor the right to approve individual DDA contracts.

The minutes of the Dec. 10, 2019, board meeting state that an MSC service agreement with the DDA was approved by a 5/0 vote, meaning the DDA board approved an agreement, but no contract was drawn up or signed.

Katz stated in his response that the request for a detailed, itemized summary of expenses from MSC was denied, because Main Street Calumet is private, 501(C)3 non-profit, and therefore is not subject to FOIA.

“As to your other requests,” wrote Katz, “I have forwarded your requests to the Village Council and the DDA, so that they may address your concerns in a manner that they may see fit.”

Polzien also responded to the letter, addressing both the concerns of the contract, and her positions at both the DDA and MSC.

There is not currently a contract between Main Street Calumet and the DDA, she stated. Her intention, she wrote, is to retain her position as DDA chairwoman until amendments to the DDA Plan are completed, which she estimated to be around Aug.1.

“I will not seek to engage Main Street Calumet and the DDA in any contract during my tenure on the DDA Board,” she wrote.

Polzien also responded to public concerns that a conflict of interest may exist in her being paid employee of MSC and a volunteer member of the DDA board.

“I can only say that I have never voted on any contract that benefitted Main Street Calumet, was not present during voting on that contract, nor have I negotiated on behalf of the DDA board for a contract,” she wrote.

The minutes of the 2019 meeting confirm Polzien’s statement on that. In No. 11 of the agenda Items, it is stated:

“Chair Leah Polzien excused herself for this (service agreement) discussion and left the meeting.”