Campton Hills moves for temporary administrator
Campton Hills leaders have started the process of filling the vacancy created when the village board decided last month to fire its administrator.
Trustees this week voted to send a proposal to an agency called GovTempsUSA to have an interim administrator serve from Aug. 12 to Dec. 12.
Trustees may cancel the four-month agreement after two months, provided they give two weeks notice.
Some trustees want to move beyond the temp agency, but the board is not there yet.
"We need to start the process where we can get a professional to hire. I'm talking tomorrow," said Trustee Laura Andersen.
Added Trustee Jim McKelvie: "A transition is critical, absolutely critical."
It's unlikely recently fired administrator Jennifer Johnsen will be able to help the temporary administrator ease into the role. Village President Harry Blecker said Johnsen has been in the office tying up loose ends but is not expected to work next week. Her last official day is Aug. 12.
Agreeing on a new administrator could be a tall order for the board, which voted 5-1 last month to fire Johnsen. Trustee Mike Millett was the lone no vote; Blecker, who only votes to break a tie, wanted to retain Johnsen as administrator.
Blecker said he was unsure of whether the village would hire a search firm to help find the next administrator, only the second in the village's nine-year history.
"I think we'll go out and look first and see what options we have," said Blecker. "I see a lot of challenges. Just the reputation of the village (as one of them)."
Another challenge will be finding a candidate with the right qualifications and experience to guide the infant village into maturity.
"It's a relatively small universe of people who are administrators. There's not a lot of them out there," Blecker said. "It's a pretty specialized area."
The village board has been characterized with infighting and bickering for a couple years. Tensions eased after Blecker was elected village president in spring 2015, but have escalated in recent months.
Dysfunction has affected staff members beyond Johnsen.
Treasurer Cheryl Aldridge, a part-time employee in her first full year with the village, gave Blecker her two-week resignation notice on Wednesday.
"I am disappointed in the board's lack of trust and confidence in the staff that has been assembled," wrote Aldridge in part of her letter of resignation, which is effective Aug. 16. "I feel that the lack of trust will not improve and as an employee that is difficult to overcome."