Trustees Say No to Planning Services Contract, Request More Proposals

The Village Board turned down a contract for as-needed professional planning services on Monday night, preferring to get other proposals in before making a decision.

The additional planning services are needed, Village Manager Anne Marie Gaura said, because of recent changes to the community development department. Last September, Community Development Director Jane Tompkins , and in January, trustees decided to , and eliminate another: the senior planner position.

Jamie Belongia, assistant to the village manager, is now overseeing the department, which includes three employees: a planner, a building inspector/code enforcement officer, and an administrative assistant.

With those changes, Gaura said, the department may need additional assistance to deal with larger projects that comes up. That’s why she suggested contracting with Wills Burke Kelsey Associates of St. Charles, and specifically with their senior planner, Jo Ellen Charlton, on an as-needed basis.

According to the proposed contract, Charlton offered to review projects with village staff, attend meetings with developers, and meet with “related municipal and professional organizations that further the interest of the village.” In return, she would have received $150 an hour, plus any travel expenses, and her rate would have increased by 15 percent if her work supported the village in litigation.

Charlton has a history with the village, Gaura said—she previously worked with the village for six months, she said, and helped with planning the Orchard Road retail corridor. Gaura said she contacted Charlton herself, and did not request proposals from other possible contractors because “time is of the essence.”

But several trustees disagreed with this course of action. Trustee Stan Bond said he would prefer to solicit requests for proposals, and see how other contractors respond.

Trustee Matt Brolley, a licensed professional engineer, said in his experience, Charlton’s rates are industry standard, and requesting proposals probably would not result in a lower cost. But Bond replied, “We don’t know that until we try.”

Trustee Denny Lee praised Charlton, saying that she “knows the businesses in town, and she knows the town, and going out for bid, we won’t find anyone who knows the town like she does.”

In the end, four trustees—Bond, Kaczmarek, Pete Heinz and Bill Keck—voted against the contract. The next step is to request proposals, though Gaura said that could take some time.