The turnover of senior City of Park Ridge Staff moved closer to completion last Thursday (August 7) when Fire Chief Ed Dubowski announced that he will retire from the Department on Sept. 2 after 30 years of service.
Chief Dubowski worked his way up the ranks of the Department and distinguished himself in every position he held. He has won a number of awards and commendations.
No doubt he has earned his right to retire, but we still find his departure disturbing because it follows on the heels of the early retirements Police Chief Jeff Caudill, City Manager Tim Schuenke, and Community Development Director Randy Derifield, along with the resignations of Public Works Director Joe Saccomanno and Human Resources director Mike Crotty. That's the largest exodus of senior people from the City in memory.
The table was set for these departures by the previous city council's early-retirement incentive (ERI) program, which actually made it attractive for Caudill, Schuenke and Derifield to leave city employment earlier than expected. We don't like ERIs because they tend to strip local governments of their most experienced employees on the promise - usually a false one - of cost reductions resulting by the hiring of less-experienced replacements at lower compensation.
We haven't seen any of those savings yet. In fact, from what we've heard and read on the topic, new City Mgr. Jim Hock will be costing the city a lot more than his predecessor, Schuenke - although we can't imagine Hock not being worth it compared to a guy (Schuenke) who seemed to cause more problems than he solved.
August 12, 2008
Another one bites the dust
March 17, 2008
The Beat(ing a hasty retreat) Goes On!
Director of Human Resources, Mr. Mike Crotty, announced his resignation last Friday, March 14, 2008. Mr. Crotty has been the Director of Human Resources for the City of Park Ridge for about two years and is considerably less than 50 years of age, which means he isn't eligible for the Early Retirement Incentive program (.pdf) that he helped usher into being for the City of Park Ridge. Mr. Crotty is leaving to take a position in Wheeling, which we understand will not mean a shorter commute to work for Mr. Crotty.
Also out the door is the relatively newly hired Administrative Assistant, Reluca Bruce, who recently gave notice of her intention to leave the City's employment. Her resignation was announced last Friday, along with Mr. Crotty's. Ms. Bruce is also not eligible for the Early Retirement Incentive program.
Let's review the recent departures:
Joe Saccomanno, public works director
Brian Emanuel, enviro. health coordinator and asst. dir. of community development
Randall Derifield, community development director
Tim Schuenke, city manager
Barbara Van Diggelen, graphic artist, library
Vivian Mortensen, reader services mgr, library
Eleanor Pierce, information coordinator, library
Larry Kleckner, access services mgr, library
John Watson, maintenance
Joe Levatino, maintenance
Pat McDonald, mechanic
Barbara Kasan, fiscal tech.
Jerry Holub, community services mgr
Don Zimmer, plan inspector
Carl Nielsen, plan inspector
Jeff Caudill, chief of police
Mike Crotty, human resources director
Reluca Bruce, administrative assistant
18 and counting...6 at the department head/director level. The City of Park Ridge employs roughly 255 full time employees, give or take.
The (questionable) benefits of the ERI are predicated upon either leaving positions open and/or hiring replacements at a lower salary level. The PRU Crew does not believe much of a savings, if any, will be achieved with this program. We also believe the hidden cost of employee turnover -- the brain drain on institutional memory -- was not accounted for in the original plan.
With the exception of the last three, all these dearly departed city employees are said to have taken the opportunity to participate in the ERI.
We certainly are not going to call them "rats", but we do get that sinking feeling.
February 21, 2008
November 30, 2007
Another One Bites the Dust!
In February of this year, the last city council passed the Early Retirement Incentive plan (ERI). We've been watching the dominoes fall ever since.
First out the door was Joe Saccomanno, Director of Public Works.
Second out the door was Brian Emanuel, Assistant Director of Community Development who was also the top Environmental Health Officer for the City.
Third to announce his exit was Randal Coo coo cachoo Derifield, Director of Community Development.
Yesterday, City Manager Timothy Schuenke announced he's leaving to return to the land of milk and cheese, a.k.a. the State of Wisconsin.
Click on photo above for larger view
In this weeks edition of the Journal & Topics, the last paragraph of an article about the city council's Law Firm Decision? reads as much like a want-ad as it does a reporting of facts. As we told you before, Chief of Police Jeff Caudill's head seems to be next on Mayor Frimark's butcher block.
Did we say falling like dominoes? We meant that they are dropping like flies over there at 505 Butler Place!
With the exit of 4 top-tier city employees, Frimark is in the position of populating the upper echelon of city government with people he hand-picks for like-minded loyalty to himself.
We can hardly wait for the tall tales to begin spinning about "Mayor Howard Frimark; Government Reformer!"
Welcome to Howardwood!
September 6, 2007
Coo coo cachoo.
Development director Derifield to retire reads one of today's headlines in the Herald-Advocate.
The mustachioed maestro of the city's Community Development department will have to be replaced, which begs the question of how effective the city's early retirement incentive plan will prove to be.
City Manager, Tim Schuenke, notes that the salary range for a replacement is beyond the current salary of $119,242.00 being paid to Derifield. Who says public service isn't rewarding? And you just can't beat a guaranteed government pension.
Derifield, himself, notes that he will probably find other employment. He is young enough to do that with many income producing years ahead of him.
If we had a crystal ball, we suspect it would tell us Derifield will go on to become a crystal ball gazer, a.k.a. - a consultant, maybe even a lobbyist*. That is usually what you become after you have worked in government. Just ask former State Senator Dave Sullivan.
With Derifield's departure, we are left to wonder if the city's Economic Development Director, Kim Uhlig, will feel more free to discuss demands for office space in Park Ridge?
Derifield has been telling city officials for years there is little if any demand for office space in Park Ridge, but we hear Ms. Uhlig has a different story to tell.
We feel she should be asked to tell it, before the city council takes Norwood's map amendment from the table for another vote.
*Our thanks to a keen eyed reader for the details.
