Anyone connected with a local government unit, be he or she elected, appointed or hired, has but one over-all objective, to serve his or her fellow citizens in the most efficient manner possible.
(A) Role of Board of Trustees. The elected members of the Board of Trustees are charged with the lawmaking and policy-making powers for the village. Upon them rests the responsibility for giving governmental direction to the community.
(B) Departmental heads.
(1) A trustee shall be appointed head of the following departments, in no particular grouping or order:
(a) Streets, Alleys, Water, Sewer and Garbage.
(b) Lights.
(c) Police Department, Library, Swimming Pool Maintenance.
(d) Village Office, Pool, Daily Operations and Fire Department.
(e) Parks and Golf Course Departments.
(2) As departmental head, such Trustee shall have general charge of all of the activities of such department including its personnel, physical equipment and structures.
(C) Working Foreman. The Working Foreman, subject to the direction of the Village Clerk, department head and the Board of Trustees, shall supervise the activities of all departments excepting the Clerk, Treasurer, Police Department, and Village Office. He or she shall have charge over all property and be responsible for its maintenance and use. He or she shall plan and direct all work and hours of employment of all employees, shall carry out all instructions from Village Clerk, as directed by the departmental head and/or Board of Trustees. He or she shall supervise all contract work, shall refer to the Village Clerk as directed by the department head and/or the Board of Trustees, all matters coming to his or her attention concerning welfare of the village and its citizens which requires action by the Board. He or she shall carry out the personnel policy adopted by the Board of Trustees, through the Village Clerk.
(D) Role of village employee. The employee bears the responsibility of actually doing the work necessary to fulfill the ultimate objective of local government; that is, service to the community. With him or her rests in large measure the public’s “money worth.” Moreover, it is the activity of the employee, which creates the public’s impression of the village government’s efficiency, or lack of it. Since the objective of the Board of Trustees, Chairperson and village employee is the same, this personnel program establishes personnel policies designed to create more harmony and cooperation between all members of the village “team” by ensuring standards that are fair and just for one and all while simultaneously giving the village taxpayer the most for his or her money.
(E) Chain of command.
(1) Every employee of the village is a member of the team, regardless of his or her duties or his or her employment status. Much like a military organization, there is an established “chain of command” that all employees must adhere to in order to communicate through the village governmental organization. When the Chairperson wishes to make an announcement, the notification makes its way to the proper commissioner and from him or her to the operating employees in every department.
(2) Likewise, if an employee has a complaint or a suggestion, the communication must proceed up the chain without skipping a single link. In this manner, the entire village organization can be coordinated toward the over-all objective of service to the public.
(3) This procedure shall not preclude the right of any taxpayer to contact his or her elected representative concerning village business.
(F) Classified service. Classification is the placing of similar jobs with similar duties into the same group for purposes of recruitment, pay, and other such purposes. Each job is classified according to the type of work and amount of responsibility in that job.
All positions in the village organizations are in the classified service except elected officers; members of the boards and committees; Village Clerk; volunteer personnel; personnel appointed to serve without pay, and consultants or counsel rendering professional service.
(Ord. D-239, passed 8-10-2004; Am. Ord. D-248, passed 1-11-2005; Am. Ord. D-346, passed 1-7-2020; Am. Ord. D-353, passed 4-6-2021)