East Dundee's new village administrator starts Monday, ending months of uncertainty
A new village administrator starts Monday in East Dundee, ending months of uncertainty and providing a fresh start for village leaders.
There is hope the hiring of former Evanston City Manager Erika Storlie will allow officials to refocus on the business of the village.
"We're really excited and fortunate to have her as part of our team," said Village President Jeff Lynam. "We're all enthused and excited about her level of experience."
But the timing has now former administrator Jennifer Ramsay, who has been on maternity leave since Oct. 20, crying foul. She said she suspected something was wrong when her access to village email and other information was cut off.
"I was suspicious of what was going to happen next (but) I didn't think they'd do it on a maternity leave," she said. "I'm definitely reviewing my legal options."
Lynam said the village board already had decided to replace her and had been interviewing candidates. The process was sidetracked when someone who had accepted the position backed out at the last minute. The timing was coincidental, he added.
Storlie was unanimously selected by the board and sworn in Nov. 6. She starts Monday.
"All things considered, we are very fortunate to have a candidate of Erika's caliber available," said Scott Andresen, who resigned as village trustee Monday. "Let's hope they get some things done."
The disposition of the village administrator position and Andresen's remaining on the board, which he said was disputed by Lynam, has been a distraction. Andresen stayed because there weren't enough candidates in the last election to fill the spot.
Ramsay, formerly Johnsen, was hired in 2016. Lynam, who was newly elected village president in April, fired her in June, but she was reinstated by the board two weeks later.
Ramsay was fired after she acknowledged in an email to staff that she was in a relationship with Assistant Administrator Brad Mitchell. The couple have a child together, which is why Ramsay is on maternity leave. Mitchell still is employed by the village.
Ramsay continued as administrator without a contract and at one point the board appeared willing to rehire her. She still was getting paid as administrator when she started a 12-week maternity leave.
Ramsay said she drafted a plan in her absence and offered to work part-time during her leave.
"I was planning on coming back," she said adding, Storlie's hiring was "kind of like a sucker punch."
She said she was shocked and disappointed that the village refused to honor promises and protections made in June when she agreed to return to a "combative environment."
Lynam said he fired her for "poor professional judgment" and potential liability to the village.
Andresen said the board agreed a change was needed.
"It became clear she was not going to be renewed - she held the position until her replacement was identified and sworn in," he said.
Storlie has worked in various capacities for Evanston since 2004. She was named interim city manager in 2019 and appointed to the position full-time in October of 2020. This past August, the Evanston city council approved a separation agreement with Storlie, ending her term as city manager effective Oct. 8. The agreement followed a WBEZ report of allegations of sexual misconduct among city staff.
Andresen said the board was aware of the situation.