Journal Editor

Toting several dozen pages of city documents, Mayor Tony Arredia, City Manager Dave Niemeyer and City Attorney Dave Wiltse met with a representative of the U.S. Attorney's office last Friday to discuss city concerns about 10 billboards slated to be erected along local tollways.

"A full and candid discussion of the development of the billboard program and the concern regarding any perception of the existence of Mr. Dvorak's name as a part owner of Premere Outdoor and a part owner and former officer of Premere Media was had," said City Attorney Dave Wiltse in a statement read at Monday night's City Council meeting.

Recent disclosure that convicted felon James Dvorak, former Cook County undersheriff convicted of bribery and income tax evasion in the 1980s, had or still has an interest in a company that last year secured the rights to erect 10 billboards in Des Plaines triggered a city investigation two weeks ago. Last week, it was also reported in the Journal that Oak Brook businessman, Joseph P. Nicosia, Jr., was president of Premere Outdoor, Inc. and Dvorak president of Premere Media, Inc. Nicosia, the owner of an insurance company is awaiting sentencing in an insurance fraud scheme that could land him in prison for seven years.

"Due to the concerns regarding the previous disclosure of Mr. Dvorak's contact with the city, the city attorney, city manager and the mayor agreed that the best course of action was to take our concerns to the office of the top law enforcement prosecutor in Illinois," read Wiltse Monday night.

Wiltse said that late last week he called the U.S. Attorney's office in Chicago to request a meeting.

"I was told they were interested in meeting with us," said Wiltse. Several dozen pages of city documentation were taken to the meeting by Wiltse, Niemeyer and Mayor Arredia.

In his statement, Wiltse said that in June of this year, representatives of Lamar Outdoor Advertising Co. contacted the city to inquire about the billboard application process. When the city asked why Lamar was making the inquiry instead of Premere, the company that secured the billboard rights from the city in April 2003, the city was informed that Lamar had purchased Premere's assets. At that point, the city asked orally for documentation to show that the sale had taken place. When no records were received, the city demanded, in writing, the documents which later were turned over. According to Wiltse, it is the city's position that billboard rights are not transferable.

When the city received the documents from Lamar, they showed the purchase of assets as well as information that "Dvorak had a stock ownership interest in Premere Outdoor."

"As a result of the situation, staff and the mayor determined prior to the meeting with the U.S. Attorney that the city should begin a new disclosure policy to reveal ownership interest of applicants and developers." A copy of the City of Chicago's disclosure form has been obtained and is being modified for Des Plaines use.

"After further discussion with the U.S. Attorney's representative, it became clear to us that the best step to take to protect Des Plaines interests and reputation was to continue with the new efforts to require full disclosure of ownership, business, or personal relationships before entering into any contract," Wiltse's statement said. He added that the U.S. Attorney's office declined to make further comment at this time.