Village adds new office job
Dundee’s Village Office will have another administrator, since Council voted to add the position of “Administrative Director of Engineering Services” at its meeting on Tuesday, May 4. The position will pay $50,000 per year, plus $9,000 in rough fringe benefits and a monthly vehicle expense stipend of $150 and the village will pay half of this person’s cell phone bill.

Village Manager Patrick Burtch said the position was necessary because the village was “not happy with the inspection fees from Arcadis,” the village engineering firm. He said those inspection fees were paid by the property developers who require the services, and are not paid by the village.

“It makes sense to hire someone because they can oversee the transportation inspections, private site work inspections, and we can pay for his wages and benefits for two years with the first year of revenue,” said Mr. Burtch. He said the village could make money from collecting the inspection fees from the developers, and paying the new administrator less than what Arcadis would charge.

Trustee J.C. Meehling wanted to know the full cost of adding the position. That’s when Mr. Burtch specified the fringe benefits, vehicle stipend and cell phone bill arrangement. Prior to that, Council was told the annual cost would be $59,500.

Mr. Burtch said the new person would be hired with a three-year contract.

Trustee Mike Niemann made a motion to add the position of administrative director of engineering services. For a long time, no one seconded the motion.

Mr. Niemann said, “If we don’t have a second, we can’t vote it down,” which is only technically true. If a motion does not receive a second, it dies for lack of support. However, Council was moved by Mr. Niemann’s remark to second the motion.

Trustee Chad Lazette said he would like to see the numbers for the last three to five years of what outside inspection has actually cost the village taxpayers, as opposed to developers. Mr. Burtch did not provide that information.

“I haven’t quantified the savings,” said Mr. Burtch. “I’m not suggesting we lower the fees to the developers.”

Mr. Lazette asked if it were actually legal for the village to make money on the inspection fees, since the village is not allowed to make money on building permit fees.

“I don’t know,” said Mr. Burtch. “I believe so. And, there’s no law that says you can’t make money from building permit fees— that came from the result of a court case.”

Pittsfield Township was ordered to refund substantial amounts of money to developers for overcharging them on building inspector fees.

“If I had to, I could show administrative services. It’s a money-maker. I don’t know how the courts would look at it,” Mr. Burtch said.

“We should probably know that before we open ourselves up to a legal issue,” said Mr. Lazette.
At one point, during a lull in Council’s conversation, a citizen raised his hand to ask a question, but Village President Jim Roe shook his head at him, and did not call on him.

Mr. Burtch said the new administrator also would review site plans for new developments and attend Village Planning Commission meetings.

“We can look at the need and try to fill to fill it, then fund it,” said Mr. Niemann, “the developer fee is secondary.”

“It’s secondary unless there’s a lawsuit,” said Mr. Lazette.

“We have talked at length for over a year about the need for additional inspection services, just on Ed’s [Building Inspector Baranowski] aspect,” said Mr. Niemann.

Trustee Janet Bunch said, “We need more specifics on costs. You never think you’re going to make money when you hire a person. We need to have a clearer idea of costs.”

Mr. Burtch said, “I do 10 hours a week in commercial site work inspection alone that we don’t bill for, that we could.”

Village President Jim Roe said, “We do need the help, with the growth in the last 15 years. We have to expand sometime.”

Mr. Burtch said he could not give Council a set number on the revenue source. “I don’t want to be held to it. But who’d have thought we’d have 80 housing starts.”

“He [the new administrator] would get the salary if there are zero permits, or 180. The permit money goes to the general fund and the salary is paid out of that. I’d like to see us get moving on this,” said Mr. Niemann.

“Are we at a point where we can’t adequately inspect where we’re at?” asked Mr. Lazette.

“There’s a strain at the building inspector and village manager. They’ve about reached their limits. We know people cut corners or do whatever it takes to fit it into that time frame. We have zero redundancy right now. If Ed or Pat gets sick, everything just stops,” said Mr. Niemann.

Council then voted unanimously to add the new position.

Council members did not ask questions about obvious possible conflicts of interest arising from the new position and the village manager.

Council was told that Mr. Burtch would be hiring the new administrator. However, Mr. Burtch does not just work for the Village of Dundee. A clause in his contract prohibiting him from having additional employment disappeared somewhere along the line, and now he is self-employed, as well as working full-time for the village.

Mr. Burtch is a developer and a builder. He is a partner in two current subdivision projects in the village and built the new dental office building off Brewer Road.

After the Council meeting, Mr. Burtch was asked if he will be the new administrator’s boss, and how that will work out if the new person has to inspect Mr. Burtch’s commercial projects.

Mr. Burtch said he was not comfortable with having the new person inspect his projects.

“He would not answer directly to me on that,” said Mr. Burtch. “We’re talking to the attorney to see what would happen. I would not do his employee review.”