Should Pingree Grove clerk take the minutes?

The Pingree Grove village clerk has apparently passed a large part of her statutory job description onto someone else, a move that may run contrary to a village ordinance and state statute.

Joanna Wester was elected village clerk in April after running unopposed and has named part-time Village Administrator Bill Barlow to be deputy clerk, putting him in charge of compiling meeting minutes. Barlow, in addition to these duties, also is acting finance director — the previous director resigned in December.

The village board did not endorse Wester’s move to appoint Barlow, and state statute says such a move can only be made with the board’s consent. The board is expected to discuss the matter behind closed doors at Monday’s board meeting, Village Attorney Dean Frieders said.

“The village and the village clerk are looking at this issue cooperatively to ensure that everyone’s duties are being performed and the village residents’ expectations are being met,” Frieders said.

The village ordinance outlining the clerk’s duties says the person elected to that post “Shall prepare copies of minutes of all previous meetings, which minutes have not previously been approved, and distribute those copies to the trustees and the village president as directed.”

Barlow compiles the minutes from village board that meets twice a month, from the committee of the whole that meets once a month and from the plan commission that has only met twice in the last six months. He estimates it takes him between two and three hours per meeting to complete the minutes, so he’s spending between six and 12 hours a month on that task alone. Barlow, who makes $58,900 a year and is not getting paid extra for this added duty, does not view the arrangement as a problem.

“My way of looking at it is it’s not that burdensome,” Barlow said. “It’s easier for me because I’ve got all the reports that are presented to the village board on my computer, so it’s much easier for me to cut and paste than it would be for her to do her job.”

Wester’s duties include attending meetings, calling the roll during votes, documenting the results of votes, tape recording meetings, signing ordinances and resolutions and witnessing contracts, Barlow said. She also reviews and approves Barlow’s minutes before they reach trustees.

Wester, who makes $50 a meeting as clerk, refused to discuss why she delegated minute writing to Barlow.

“I don’t have time, I’ve got a sick baby here,” she said Wednesday.

Pingree Grove previously employed a full-time village clerk at $38,625 a year. But last fall, Barlow reviewed the village’s ordinances and discovered the clerk post, unbeknown to anyone else, was actually an elected position. The board slashed the salary to $50 a meeting, prompting then-clerk Michelle Figuerola to resign in November.

Barlow took over as acting village clerk until Wester was seated in May. Wester, married to former longtime Village President Verne Wester, served separate stints as deputy and acting clerk in 2006 while her husband was in office.

When asked whether the lower salary was a problem for Wester, Barlow said the issue was between her and the board. Village President Greg Marston did not respond to repeated calls for an interview. Trustees Bernie Thomas, Ray LaMarca and Brian Paszkiewicz all declined to comment.