Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Prevailing Wage





The Mayors and Managers Legislative Plan would like to limit the Prevailing Wage Act. What that means is they don't want to have to pay plumbers, electricians, carpenters or others a living wage because there is no money in the budget but  they are giving top administrators big salary increases and bonuses. Pay attention people.  




The council voted last night to issue $35 million in bonds for projects, including water mains.




The Village ouncil voted Tuesday night to raise Village Manager Dave Fieldman’s salary in addition to voting in favor of issuing $35 million in bonds for various village projects.
In a 5–2 vote, with Commissioners Bob Barnett and William Waldack opposing it, the council agreed to increase Fieldman’s salary from $140,000 to $160,000, give him a $5,000 bonus and increase his severance package by three months.
Barnett said he believed the Village Manager had done a fantastic job and his nay vote was a criticism of the method of rewarding the Village Manager and not a criticism of Fieldman.
Waldack did not explain his nay vote.
Mayor Martin Tully said Fieldman does not receive enough thanks for the work he does, adding that Fieldman had accomplished “outstanding efforts and achievements” on behalf of the village.
Commissioner Marilyn Schnell said that of the five or six village managers she has worked with, Fieldman ranks among the top.
“From my perspective, one of the things I wanted to see was the reputation of the village go up several levels…and I think Dave has done that,” she said.
The council also voted last night to issue bonds for $35 million for street system and water system improvements. Approximately $25 million will be for road construction projects and $10 million will be designated for water system projects, including water main replacement.
“Our obligation is to maintain our infrastructure and that’s what we’re setting out to do," Tully said. “I’m in full support of this.”
Barnett clarified this is much needed debt and the payments will be made via existing revenue streams—the village will not need to find new ways to generate revenues for the debt repayment. 
The ordinance passed 6–1, with Waldack voicing the only opposition.
During the first read portion of the meeting, Downers Grove Planning Manager Jeff O’Brien discussed a potential boundary agreement with Lisle.
As it now stands, Walnut Avenue, running from Ogden Avenue to Warren Avenue, is the dividing line between the two towns. It is not stated in the existing agreement which town maintains the street.
If the council passes this resolution, Downers Grove will be responsible for maintaining Walnut Avenue and the new boundary between the villages would be along the west side of the street.
In addition, Downers Grove would relinquish control of I-355 between the railroad tracks and Maple Avenue.
Lastly, the council will soon vote to convert a number of downtown parking spaces to 15-minute parking spots, a recommendation from the recent Downtown Parking Study. The study found that short-term parking spaces allow for a high turnover of customers, which would help multiple businesses in the area.
Related Topics: Dave FieldmanWatermain, and bonds

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