Glen Ellyn trustees question staff departures

An unexpected string of departures by high-ranking Glen Ellyn administrators has some village trustees looking in the mirror and wondering, “Is it something we did?”

Trustee Peter Cooper says losing a village manager, public works director and finance director in just over two months could indicate elected officials may be asking too much from the village staff.

“It is incumbent upon us, as elected representatives, to consider what effect our own actions have had on their departures,” Cooper said. “What can we do to ensure stability in the future?”

Public Works Director Joe Caracci resigned his post Dec. 8, following the already announced departures of Village Manager Steve Jones and Finance Director Jon Batek. There is speculation that the village board's more “hands-on” approach may have something to do with the exodus.

Village President Mark Pfefferman estimates roughly 90 percent of measures pass rather routinely through the village board. But he says he can't recall when elected officials have given so much scrutiny to the remaining 10 percent of issues including when he served as a trustee from 2003 to 2007.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, he said.

And, Pfefferman said, none of the three departing employees mentioned during their exit interviews that increased scrutiny had any effect on their decision to leave.

But while all three said they enjoyed their time in Glen Ellyn, they also suggested formal rules of engagement should be established between staff and elected officials.

“It's concerning,” Pfefferman said. “(But) if there were consistent themes (in the exit interviews) that came out and said the board needed to act in a different manner, we would certainly be open to that.”

Pfefferman called the timing of the departures “unfortunate” but said the vacancies will give officials a chance to reassess the positions.

“We had some excellent people but maybe the new ones will be just as good, if not better,” he said.

Batek's assistant, Larry Noller, has filled in for him since his mid-October departure. The village will hire an interim village manager to oversee the office until officials hire a permanent replacement for Jones, who officially steps down at the end of the year. As for Caracci, his last day is Jan. 2.

The bottom line is this: during the first few months of 2011, the village will have interim or acting officials in three of its most high-profile positions.

Trustee Jim Comerford said the situation is not unique to the village, especially when considering private businesses sometimes lose five or six top executives within a year.

“There is always a concern you will lose key people,” he said. “Having three leave in such a short time is unusual in Glen Ellyn but not in Top 100 companies.”

Comerford said the key to keeping others from following the departed trio is to make sure they understand their work is valued.

“You try to create an atmosphere where people feel they are appreciated and allowed to fulfill their position in a meaningful way,” he said.

The departures of Batek and Caracci might be considered by some to be career moves. Both will now make $125,000 annually with Carol Stream and Bensenville, respectively. That represents about a 7 percent increase from their Glen Ellyn salaries.

Jones, who was paid about $140,000 last year, has not announced where he will go.

Cooper said Caracci's decision to leave did not surprise him, considering the recent departures as well as an unfilled deputy village manager's position that has been vacant since June of 2009.

“I was not surprised by his determination to look elsewhere,” he said. “I think the instability at the highest leadership ranks of the village has to be uncomfortable for all of our village associates, including the department heads.”

Nonetheless, Trustee Phil Hartweg said he thinks the situation in Glen Ellyn is common during tough economic times.

“I doubt we have any more issues than some other places,” he said. “It's bad at this time of the juncture with the economy because you can't do much in terms of increased salary and things like that. We'll have to pull up the bootstraps and find some replacements.”

As officials try to navigate the departures, Glen Ellyn residents should not expect any service reductions, Trustee Pete Ladesic said.

“Our streets are going to be plowed and salted and toilets will still flush with water because the people on the front line are still there,” he said. “The figureheads are gone, but the people on the front line that row the boat will still be rowing.”