MP Updates Job Descriptions, Receives Study of Salaries

By Bob Balgemann

REPORTER

BOB BALGEMANN, PHOTO – The Journal
Machesney Park Village Trustee, Erick Beck (left) thought revisions to village job descriptions should be more inclusive and include various inspectors, to ensure the most qualified people possible are hired for various projects. To his left is Village Treasurer Tom Yoe.

Since its inception in 1981, the Village has contracted for many of the services it provides to the public. Among those still in effect are law enforcement, legal, engineering, building and some public works projects. There currently are 12 full-time positions on staff, with one of them being vacant. They include the Village Administrator, Village Clerk, who is elected; a Public Works Superintendent, Human Resources and Accounting Manager, Community Development Director, Planning and Zoning Coordinator and Administrative Assistant/Deputy Clerk. The Village used to have a strong mayor-village board form of government. But, several years ago that was changed and an Administrator was hired to oversee day-to-day operations. Bob Mullins, previously Administration and Finance Director, was the first to hold that position. Currently, Tim Savage serves as Administrator. The Mayor continues to be influential, but more as a visionary, in an advisory capacity and being involved with planning on the local and regional levels. Also, the Mayor is the Liquor Commissioner and chairs meetings. And he/she is a member of the village board, presides over meetings and votes on ordinances or whenever there is a tie among the six trustees. Given that, the Village recently rewrote and updated changes in job descriptions of the various in-house employees and had a related study of their salaries done by a consultant. An ordinance on job description revisions was approved on a second final reading in a 6-1 vote, Sept. 19, with Trustee Erick Beck dissenting. He opposed the update at the committee level and also at the Sept. 6 Village Board meeting. He explained that he thought descriptions for Building Inspector, Electrical Inspector and other related jobs should have been included in the document. That would be important when the Village was looking to contract for outside companies to perform projects. “We want to have the best-qualified people inspecting our buildings to be sure that they are safe,” he said. Administrator Savage said he thought about Trustee Beck’s comments between the Sept. 6 and Sept. 19 Board Meetings. He considered those observations to be “good advice and good counsel.” He agreed the Village needed to be sure that “individuals are qualified for the services that we are hiring out.” However, he added that he believed “the place for those assurances would be the contract itself.” As an example, he said, “If there is concern about (an individual having) a CDL license, put it into the snow-plowing contract.” The majority of the trustees and Mayor Jerry Bolin agreed with that assessment and supported the ordinance.

Salaries in line

Salaries being paid by the Village are in line with other municipalities of the same size, the Administrator reported. One position – Administrative Assistant/Deputy Clerk – was at the top of the range. In addition, steps are being taken to adjust the Administrative Assistant/Receptionist position upward, to get it closer to the bottom of the range. All of the other positions are within range provided by the consultant, though the Machesney Park Administrator is at the bottom of the scale for such positions in like communities.