Lombard village board approves contract with new village manager

Lombard's next village manager had a chance this week to personally thank the village board for selecting him for the job.

The board unanimously approved a contract Thursday night with Scott Niehaus that runs through the first village board meeting in May 2017 and pays an initial salary of $165,000 a year.

Niehaus, who is finishing up a 10-year tenure as village manager in Tinley Park this month, will begin his duties in Lombard on Jan. 21.

Sporting a lilac tie, Niehaus said at the village board meeting that he is looking forward to both working with the board — who he said he sees as a group of people who are “growing in the same direction and love Lombard and want to have it be the best village it can be” — and learning a lot from village staff.

“I am truly, truly excited about this opportunity on so many levels,” he said. “Tinley Park has been a great experience, and I'm not leaving there under any ill will. It was a hard decision, but the chance to work with the people here and be near my family is very important.”

Niehaus, 42, still resides in Tinley Park, but he said he is getting married soon and will decide where to live after the wedding. He said his parents live in Lombard and he has family members who work in the village. Along with the contract approval, the board approved an ordinance that amended the village code to eliminate the residency requirement for the village manager.

Prior to his current position, Niehaus worked for four years as assistant village manager of Tinley Park. He also spent five years working for Elk Grove Village. He said the experience he gained working for Tinley Park will especially be helpful in Lombard.

“I think they're very similar towns in terms of their populations and budgets and they have similar issues, including shopping, downtown development and a convention center,” he said. “I'm going to follow the goals that are set by the village board in terms of maintaining the high quality of services that are already provided by the government.”

Raised in Elmhurst, Niehaus attended York High School and graduated with a bachelor's degree from Augustana University and a master's degree from Northern Illinois University.

Niehaus will replace Dave Hulseberg, who retired this spring after five years as Lombard's village manager. Finance Director Tim Sexton has been serving as interim manager.