01292004 - News Article - North Township trustee defends 'sensitivity training' expenses - Taxpayers paid out $30,000 for required employee training, counseling sessions - ROBERT CANTRELL

North Township trustee defends 'sensitivity training' expenses 
Taxpayers paid out $30,000 for required employee training, counseling sessions
Post-Tribune (IN)
January 29, 2004
Taxpayers across Lake County have paid for public employees to receive mandatory back massages and talk about their problems -- all while they were on taxpayer time.

That's according to North Township employees who have been concerned for years about services provided to North Township employees by Addiction and Family Care.

The Hammond-based agency, publicly headed by Nancy Fromm, but long linked to political player Robert Cantrell, is among those targeted by a public corruption investigation being headed by U.S. Attorney Joseph Van Bokkelen.

This week, public task force investigators focused efforts on the North Township Trustee's office, interviewing employees and requesting records.

While Trustee Greg Cvit-kovich and Cantrell, one of his highest-paid employees, were not there when investigators visited the trustee's Hammond and East Chicago offices, Cvitkovich told the Post-Tribune on Wednesday he would be more than happy to help public corruption investigators.

He doesn't think they'll find any corruption linked to him.

Cvitkovich admits he requires employees to attend mandatory sessions with Fromm's agency, on taxpayer time. He says he does it for their own good and, to his knowledge, the sessions don't involved massages, as some allege.

"They're supposed to go to ... uh ... sensitivity training seminars and drug and alcohol awareness education programs," Cvitkovich said. "It's required because my employees are in highly stressful jobs and deal with numerous clients.

"Some employees don't like going, but those are the ones who need to go the most."

Township board president Frank Mrvan Jr. said the counseling contract with Fromm represents "a slap in the face to taxpayers" that is simply "a waste of employee time."

"He hasn't listened to employees who've said that or when we said it as a board," Mrvan said. "Maybe U.S. Attorney Van Bokkelen will now get his attention."

Mrvan said last year the township paid $30,000 for employee counseling services -- four-hour sessions employees said they must attend or have their pay docked.

"The trustee and his attorney said that contract, and any contract, doesn't have to come before us for approval," board member Richard Novak said.

"They said the state gave him the authority to do whatever he wants to do. We've questioned that, but they said according to law, that's what they can do."

Township attorney Anthony DeBonis declined comment.

Pete Auksel, the third board member, could not be reached at his Highland and Florida homes.

But Mrvan said the criminal investigation at the trustee's office is driving him to call for "a special, emergency board meeting to again stress the board's demand that the trustee eliminate this contract."

Addiction and Family Care is on contract and has relationships with other Lake County agencies, including the sheriff's department, and several city, town and county courts.

Fromm did not return a call seeking comment.

Cvitkovich, upset about a Tuesday Post-Tribune story detailing the inquiry into his office, said he nor his employees are dodging investigators.

He denied rumors that his staff had somehow denied investigators records or otherwise impeded the investigation.

"No, if they had asked for anything they would have received it," Cvitkovich said. "They were told to go upstairs, where our records are kept, and see my secretary. She said they'd need to put it in writing.

"But she was wrong to even say that, because it's public."

Cvitkovich also defended the work product of Cantrell, his $37,000 "inter-agency liaison."

Some township employees said in testimony during the East Chicago mayoral recount they don't know what Cantrell does at the township office, except report to Cvitkovich.

Others said Cantrell uses the job to run East Chicago political operations, including paying township clients to enter political races.

He declined to elaborate further about Cantrell's job but blamed questions about his role on disgruntled employees.

Cvitkovich added Van Bokkelen's investigators won't find anything amiss or illegal in his township office operations.

"I'm not aware of anybody breaking the law here," he said. "If you or anybody else is, I wish you'd bring it to my attention because I'd put a stop to it immediately."