Campton Hills administrator job restored, questions remain
Campton Hills trustees voted early Wednesday to restore Village Administrator Jennifer Johnsen's access to email and other village resources since her reinstatement Dec. 2.
Village President Patsy Smith disagrees with Johnsen's reinstatement and says she might take legal action.
The ordinance approved by trustees specifically directs Smith to "cease interfering with the performance" of Johnsen's duties and orders Smith to provide Johnsen with building keys, access to the village's computer network and her computer, as well as email and other software.
"We brought (Johnsen) back to full status and Patsy doesn't agree with that and still doesn't," said Trustee Harry Blecker.
Trustees Susan George, Mike Millett, Laura Anderson and Blecker voted to restore Johnsen's access; Trustee Jim Kopec voted no and Trustee Al Lenkaitis was absent. Smith only votes to break a tie.
Smith put Johnsen on leave in mid-November for performance issues and for the Illinois attorney general's office to investigate a possible Open Meetings Act violation.
Smith blocked Johnsen's access to email after the board voted to reinstate her Dec. 2.
"She's not even supposed to be at work, in my opinion," Smith said at Tuesday's meeting. "If I have to go to court to get a ruling to settle this once and for all, that's what I'll have to do, which I prefer not to do."
The village board also retained another legal firm to give a second opinion on Johnsen's status.
Attorney Julie Tappendorf said Johnsen has the right to return to work because of the board's reinstatement vote.
"She should have the opportunity to do her job. It may very well take a court order, which it shouldn't," Tappendorf said. "She is the village administrator. It's business as usual. She should have access to do her job."
Johnsen is Campton Hills' first and only administrator since the village was incorporated in 2007, and village leaders are having some growing pains defining her role.
The administrator and trustees function much like a company CEO with a board of directors.
Generally speaking, trustees set policy and goals and the administrator works to carry those out.
In Campton's case, officials are divided on whether Johnsen should report to the entire board - six trustees and the village president - or just Smith.
"You have seven different people giving seven different directions," Kopec said. "The supervision, I think, has to be done by the village president."