Because new state laws require the village to release the terms of a severance contract with Forest Park’s former buildings chief, Village Administrator Tim Gillian said the municipality is not likely to pursue legal action against the former employee for discussing publicly the circumstances that prompted his resignation. In an interview with the Review published Feb. 3, the former director of the Department of Public Health and Safety, Mike Boyle, said he felt pressured to turn in his resignation. According to Boyle, the commissioner who oversees the department, Mike Curry, made “very clear” that Boyle’s job was on the line. Boyle said he did not believe that his job performance was the issue.
Under new laws regulating the release of public records that took effect Jan. 1, the Review requested – and received – the severance agreement from village hall. The contract may be viewed by anyone who asks to see it.
In August 2009, the village council voted to pay Boyle more than $28,000 as part of the severance agreement. The deal also includes provisions that restrict both parties from discussing the terms of the contract, and the circumstances which prompted it.
