Campton Hills board again discusses firing administrator
Campton Hills trustees discussed firing Village Administrator Jennifer Johnsen's Tuesday night for the second time in her two-year tenure.
However, the village board didn't vote on the matter and will instead discuss it further July 13.
Trustees met behind closed doors to discuss two proposals.
The first was to fire her, effective Aug. 4.
The second was to put Johnsen on paid administrative leave for 30 days, starting immediately.
Outside of the meeting, Johnsen declined to say why she thinks people want to fire her.
None of the trustees or Village President Harry Blecker commented after the meeting.
During the public comment portion of the open part of the meeting, several people who served on village committees and commissions as well as some former co-workers all praised Johnsen and said it would be a mistake for the village to get rid of her.
Former village president Patsy Smith, who hired and then suspended Johnsen in 2014, tried to speak to the board about the matter, but was cut off by current President Harry Blecker.
Speakers are limited to 3 minutes, and Blecker said Smith had used up her time. Before talking about Johnsen, Smith had first discussed another issue on the agenda - painting the village's name on a Wasco Sanitary District water tower.
When approached outside of the meeting, Smith said she only wanted to tell the board that she knew Johnsen better than any of them, because she had worked alongside Johnsen for 15 months.
Johnsen was hired in January 2014 as the young village's first administrator.
"I think she will make a great fit," Smith said at the time.
However, Smith put Johnsen on paid administrative leave in November 2014, saying there were problems with Johnsen's performance and had possibly violated the state Open Meetings Act.
In December 2014, trustees overruled that action and reinstated Johnsen. Smith questioned the legality of their actions, but did not pursue any legal action against the board.
She did not run for re-election in 2015. Smith was the first president of the village, which incorporated in 2007.
Johnsen previously worked for Berkeley in suburban Cook County.