Journal Editor

Half of Des Plaines aldermen are asking that a full, independent investigation be conducted into the facts surrounding the awarding of rights to a billboard company whose former president and shareholder is a convicted felon.

One alderman, Laura Murphy (3d) said she wants not only the billboard agreement with Premere Outdoor, Inc. investigated, but the city's contract with Rolling Meadows-based Prime Site Group, LLC. That company was hired by the city in 2001 to provide marketing services for the redevelopment of the Mannheim-Higgins roads area. Earlier this year it was discovered that James Dvorak, the convicted former Cook County undersheriff, was an employee of Prime Site and had worked on the Mannheim-Higgins project. At about the same time it was also discovered that then Des Plaines Economic Development Commission executive director, Community Development Dept. director and former acting city manager Bill Schneider was a close friend of Dvorak. And shortly after that discovery, Schneider admitted to Mayor Tony Arredia that he was convicted of mail fraud in the mid-1990s. That conviction stemmed from a scheme Schneider and a brother devised to take money from a Chicago company that is currently seeking state approval to own a casino in Des Plaines.

Murphy's call for an investigation that would include the city's dealings with Prime Site comes following an internal probe of the Prime agreement with the city by City Manager Dave Niemeyer. That report was released on Aug. 20 and has come under some criticism from some individuals who say it presented more questions than it answered.

Besides Murphy, other council members who feel a formal, independent investigation is needed are Pat Beauvais (1st), Carla Brookman (5th) and Don Smith (7th).

"How far does this go?" asked Ald. Beauvais. "If it takes an outside investigation then it will."

Members of the city's License & Judicial Committee are scheduled to meet today (Wednesday) in City Hall to hear City Attorney Dave Wiltse explain the city's dealings with Premere Outdoor, Inc. outdoor advertising company. Ald. Smith, chairman of that committee, said that while he expects Wiltse to present much information about the agreement and the status of the 10 billboards the city granted Premere to erect, he believes many more questions will remain unanswered. And because of that, said Smith, he feels that he and other aldermen will call for a more comprehensive probe conducted by someone or agency other than the city staff.

"I'd like to have all of the information," said Ald. Murphy. "I'd like full disclosure on anything those groups are involved with" referring to Dvorak and Prime Site. "I thought the City Council would have done a thorough investigation beforehand. Apparently not so. We didn't know Dvorak was involved. I've always supported an independent investigation of the Prime Site matter. Maybe now there's new support for an investigation because of the facts that have come out."

As early as May, Ald. Carla Brookman (5th) has been calling for a thorough independent probe of the city's association with Prime Site, what work it performed for the city in connection with the redevelopment of the Mannheim-Higgins area, and Dvorak's involvement. She has also been critical of the City Council-approved deal with Premere to permit the erection of 10 billboards along local tollways. As early as April 2003, Brookman questioned the then proposed billboard deal saying what money the city would generate was minimal compared to what Premere stood to gain.

Since early September, the Journal has published numerous stories about Premere's plans to erect the billboards. What has been uncovered is that Premere as early as July 1, 2003---just 42 days after a majority of aldermen approved granting Premere the rights to erect the 10 billboards in Des Plaines---sold its assets to outdoor advertising giant Lamar. The shareholders of Premere, as disclosed by the Journal, were Dvorak, Leonora Nicosia, wife of Oak Brook businessman Joseph Nicosia who is awaiting sentencing in an insurance fraud scheme, and Heather Loss, wife of Joseph Loss, attorney and project manager for Premere Outdoor.

There is speculation that Premere sold the rights to five of the 10 billboards to Larmar for approximately $1 million each. City Attorney Dave Wiltse and Assistant City Attorney Ray Bartel have said that Premere had no right to sell its billboard rights. It's believed that the other five billboard rights may be sold to media giant Viacom. It's believed that Lamar has erected three of the five billboards having secured city permits to do so.

Wiltse has said that he will make recommendations to License & Judicial Committee members today. He was also offer advise on what to do about Premere's sale of billboard rights to Lamar.