Under pressure, Campton Hills drops forced annexation

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CAMPTON HILLS - The village this week aborted its own attempt to force the annexation of a 32.57-acre farm in Plato Township.

Trustee Albert Lenkaitis Jr. was angered that a forced annexation process was set up by Village President Patsy Smith without trustee input or approval.

"I was extremely appalled," Lenkaitis said. "I am against any forced annexation."

After officials learned the Sajtars objected to the forced annexation and the measure was not likely to have trustee support, it was added to the consent agenda in a backwards form: "Motion to decline consideration of annexation."

Trustees voted 6-0 not to annex the farm, at 8N743 Dittman Road, owned by Richard and Bobette Sajtar of Sleepy Hollow.

"All I know is, we got the notice that it was going to be on the agenda," Lenkaitis said. "I was against it. I did not know how it got there. And when it came up, trustees were extremely unhappy with it."

Smith did not return a phone message seeking comment.

Village attorney William Braithwait said the property qualifies to be annexed because it is entirely surrounded by the village. This type of annexation is very common in other municipalities so there are no "holes" in a city or a village.

"Patsy Smith and our office, based upon what, at the time, appeared to be some good reason to annex it," Braithwaite said. "Our office was involved in recommending the annexation, initially, for what we considered very good reasons. After full consideration, it was decided we should not go that route because the people in question did not want to be annexed."

Braithwaite would not say what the "good reason" was to annex the property.

"I am not at liberty to discuss it," Braithwaite said. "We told the board the reasons. It is not a public document, it is a confidential memorandum."

Braithwaite said the memo to board members was sent shortly before a legal notice about the annexation was published April 3.

"We sent them [the owners] a letter that it was being considered for annexation. We did not need to do that, all we have to do is publish the notice in the paper," Braithwaite said. "What we did was a courtesy."

A letter from the Sajtars, dated April 3, states, in part, "Your proposal to annex our farm against our wishes is exactly what you claimed Elgin was trying to do? Is this behavior now right and proper because it the Campton Hills Village taking this action."

The Sajtars did not return a phone message seeking comment.