Carol Stream buyouts take bite out of public works

A voluntary separation program aimed at saving Carol Stream money also will take a chunk out of the village's public works department.

At least six of the department's 30 employees have taken buyouts, including Director Al Turner, who has been with the village 31 years.

Turner said he has no specific plans for life after Carol Stream but he had planned on retiring within four years, anyway.

"The incentive matched my lifestyle," said Turner, who plans on sailing a bit more in Wisconsin after his final day June 30. "I'll miss the people I work with. I've been here a long time."

The village offered employees a buyout in mid-January, hoping to bite into what was then a $2.69 million budget deficit. Based on projections, the buyout plan is expected to save the village about $500,000 next year and about $670,000 a year over the following seven or eight years.

The projections are based on the overall buyout package and not individual positions. The total payout will be $424,500, most of which will come out of the general fund.

The package has always been set up as a long-term savings plan, said Director of Finance Stan Helgerson, who also leaves June 30.

"It's still a bit fluid," he said. "But we're structured up and we have a game plan for the replacements."

In Turner's case, his salary of $131,829.67 will be replaced by new Director Phil Modaff's salary of $125,000.

Turner and Helgerson are among the 12 employees who chose to take the buyout.

Village Manager Joe Breinig said Turner's departure will not bring the department to a standstill but his experience will be missed.

"It's always hard to lose someone with Al's experience but we're well-positioned," Breinig said.

Village officials say they have not found a replacement for Helgerson. Assistant Finance Director Dawn Damolaris will handle the department's day-to-day operations while the search continues.

Turner's was one of five positions expected to be replaced at a reduced salary. Three other posts will be eliminated while four more will be replaced on a part-time or reduced-status basis.

Breinig said there was more urgency on replacing Turner because of the high number of employees in the department who took the buyout. He said 42 people applied for the position and Modaff's experience as a longtime village administrator in Willowbrook made him stand out.

"He's got a background that's very strong in public works," Breinig said. "Both Willowbrook and Woodridge spoke highly of his time there. They say he's very good at working with other departments."

Modaff has been married 24 years and has two teenage children. He lives in Lisle and worked in Woodridge from 1997 to 2006 as in both the public works department and as village administrator.

Most recently, he spent several years as village administrator in Willowbrook. Modaff said he has been out of work since July and is ready to get going.

"I've had a long enough vacation," he said. "I've spent my entire career in DuPage County and Carol Stream has an outstanding reputation from its elected officials down to the management staff."