Does Pingree Grove need a village manager?

Now that it no longer has a village manager, the Pingree Grove village board is trying to decide where they go from here.

Village President Wyman "Clint" Carey has proposed finding a temporary village manager through the Illinois City Manager's Association that can locate retired village managers willing to guide Pingree Grove through its various projects, deals and day-to-day operations.

Carey says it won't be easy filling the job, as two village managers have left town since he took office in 2007.

Jim Bassett parted ways with the village after eight years and Scott Hartman was fired last week after less than two years on the job.

Per local law, the board also can't extend a contract to a village manager beyond Carey's term, which expires next April.

So if the board brings someone on board in August or September, the manager will only be on the job for seven or eight months.

"So this is a short time position and I'm sure they're reading the newspapers, too, and understand what's going on," Carey said. "It's going to be a challenging position to fill."

For now, the village staff is handling the manager's duties.

Trustee Greg Marston - one of the four who voted to terminate Hartman - questions whether the village needs a manager at all.

At Monday night's board meeting, Marston took an impromptu poll of village staff and directly asked them whether they felt overwhelmed without a village manager.

Clerk Michelle Figuerola and Finance Director Laura Pisarcik said they didn't.

Public Works Director Pat Doherty said nothing has come up so far that couldn't wait until a future board meeting. A Village Attorney Dean Frieders said, "I think it's a policy matter for the board to decide."

Marston, with trustees Stephanie Mette, Steve Wiedmeyer and Josh Cossiboon, voted to fire Hartman last Monday.

Hartman was on track to make roughly $99,000 a year.

Carey hopes to hire a temporary replacement for $62,000 or less to finish out his term in office.