DuPage forest preserve volunteer hired as paid consultant

A retired Wheaton barber who has been serving as an unpaid adviser to DuPage County Forest Preserve President D. "Dewey" Pierotti now will get paid $25,000 a year for his work.

The forest preserve commission voted 6-1 Tuesday to hire Mark Kauffman as a consultant who will act as an "administrative/intergovernmental cooperation assistant" to the president.

Commissioner Mary Lou Wehrli questioned the need for the new position and cast the only "no" vote.

Because the contract is for one year, Kauffman is expected to provide his services to whoever replaces Pierotti, who is retiring in November. Commissioner Joe Cantore, an Oak Brook Republican, is running for the presidency against Democrat Brian Wolter of Carol Stream.

Cantore voted in favor of the hiring without comment.

"You have a new executive director," Pierotti said. "You're going to have a new president. He (Kauffman) is really a conduit who can help with the succession."

Pierotti says Kauffman has been working with him on a voluntary basis for about two years.

Kauffman, who used to own a barbershop in downtown Wheaton, long has been known as someone with his finger on the pulse of the community, Pierotti said. He also has "great relationships" with county, state and federal politicians from DuPage.

"He knows everybody," Pierotti said. "I've always relied on him to let me know what the people of DuPage really felt and what their concerns were."

Pierotti says Kauffman excels at providing insight into public sentiment because he's not an elected official.

"As far as I know, he's never run for public office," Pierotti said. "And he doesn't want to run for public office."

Still, Kauffman is no stranger to DuPage politics and the forest preserve.

He spent five years on the DuPage Election Commission in the 1990s. He then served as treasurer of the forest preserve district between December 2004 and May 2007.

Kauffman was appointed to the unpaid treasurer position even though the job usually is held by an elected official. The treasurer's job includes responsibility for the district's budget and investments.

When Kauffman resigned from the treasurer post, he said he wanted to spend more time at his barbershop.

Pierotti said Kauffman was able to donate his time again because he sold the business more than two years ago.

While he supported Kauffman's consulting contract, Pierotti said the idea originated from board members.

"They felt that he was doing a great job," Pierotti said. "They wanted some way to compensate him for his expenses."

Wehrli, however, opposed the move after asking what tasks Kauffman has done for the district.

Wehrli also took issue with some of the future tasks Kauffman is expected to perform. The list includes working with lobbyists to promote the district's legislative agenda, reviewing activities in DuPage, and making contacts with other units of government in the county.

"Every one of those tasks strikes me as the duty of a president," said Wehrli, adding the next forest preserve president should "step up" and do the work.