Pingree Grove village manager under fire
Pingree Grove trustees soon will be deciding whether to relieve Village Manager Scott Hartman from his duties, a trustee confirmed Saturday.
The village has scheduled a special meeting for 6:45 p.m. Monday to review a measure that calls for a "change in employment status" for Hartman.
"We're going to be making a decision on whether he's going to continue being the manager for the village," Trustee Stephanie Mette said. "A number of issues have been brought up."
Mette declined to detail those matters, as the board has not yet finalized Hartman's employment status.
Efforts to reach Hartman Saturday at home and on his mobile phone were unsuccessful.
Hartman was placed on paid administrative leave at the end of last Monday night's board meeting.
Village President Wyman "Clint" Carey said the move, which he does not endorse, came after an executive session. He declined to talk about what happened during the closed-door discussion that warranted the action against Hartman.
Hartman, 38, has been with the village since 2008 and his contract is up next year, Mette said.
He began his tenure in June of that year, making $95,000 a year.
Hartman had recently agreed to a 5 percent reduction in pay to help the village balance its budget.
He was previously the city administrator for Marengo, a post he held for 51/2 years.
In Pingree Grove, Hartman recently conducted an audit into Carey's expenses, as the village was looking for other ways to save money.
He also was involved in ongoing negotiations between the village and Cambridge Homes, which built hundreds of new houses in Pingree Grove.
The village board in Pingree Grove has the authority to terminate Hartman, but needs a supermajority vote to do so.
"I'm not in support of it, if it comes down to my vote," Carey said. With Trustee Ricky Popilek's recent resignation, there are only six trustees on the board, which means four have to approve the measure.
The board last week postponed appointing Popilek's replacement until May 17.