[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6223267,"mediaKeyId","3576688-075773c40a7ad4ac215a8bbb6e26f527","parentId",3576688,"title","Berwyn moves to retitle finance role to comptroller; council sends ordinance amending finance code to passage","audioSeconds",4508,"startMs",2004610,"endMs",6513050,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3576688-075773c40a7ad4ac215a8bbb6e26f527&start=2004&end=6513","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3576688-075773c40a7ad4ac215a8bbb6e26f527/thumbnail_2004610.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6223267/Berwyn/Cook-County/Illinois/Berwyn-moves-to-retitle-finance-role-to-comptroller-council-sends-ordinance-amending-finance-code-to-passage","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223267-1e92c6c1d3d61f90aa84c08b09d0e3ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1773580514&Signature=bAqLrJI0I-6SoLPkjpIrULQPezq~2PSLglE32usftkb63UodD1F6KJ4xPX0XYRg9dw09k~TIDqhkF2b-p-P1Thk6o9Mcf9GDHcK7CG8zptYAHoeefukteBKYxDUIhDWkjYkRhIwbqkemBJipKD1tvQMRsr8L9bJyX~ak1NsNA5HInf2e7xLI862sKWhi8tBMv5bMkgvhi7bG3tAfnh9WaIvxnng68Udfe~61SQO4DVXVZu2sgNB~UHOQI2VfX-6EHc~WLza1u6wdLUy1zNWfDnKI8cMh6etjh-~F~9-vuv5hrv7REedwR6NJdwLHZq-i9-y16rJzQM5xGuDstfM5Hw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Berwyn, IL","date","2025-05-28T16:15:37Z","article","A discussion on an ordinance amending the city’s codified finance chapters focused on retitling an internal finance post and clarifying procurement procedures. The amendment would change positions in chapter 2‑28 (finance department composition), chapter 2‑28‑05 (contracts and purchases), and chapter 2‑28‑11 (city controller/comptroller). The ordinance was put \"on its way to passage\" after an 8‑0 roll call vote on concurrence.

Nut graf: City officials described the change as an internal reorganization and not a new hiring action: the proposed ordinance formalizes existing duties, retitles an assistant finance director position to comptroller and updates procurement language; Finance leaders said the move aims to reduce outsourcing and bring accounting and reconciliation duties fully in‑house.

Finance staff explained the rationale and operational impact. The finance office said staff turnover and the recent loss of a longtime financial adviser increased internal workloads. Officials described redistributing duties among existing personnel rather than increasing full‑time equivalents. \"We're trying to learn and take on a lot of those things ourself so that we don't have to outsource,\" said Claudia Hernandez, identified in the meeting as the assistant finance director. Officials said the change will leave the department with one fewer FTE compared with past staffing because some contractor roles will not be refilled.

City staff also addressed procurement and bid thresholds. During the discussion council members asked whether raising thresholds for formal bidding could slow purchases for departments such as public works, which face high material costs. Staff said large, technical purchases for police and fire often use cooperative contracts while public works contracts remain sensitive to material price swings; speakers noted some public works procurement has effectively been operating with higher informal thresholds because of material costs.

Formal action: A motion to \"concur with the mayor and approvals\" and place the amended ordinance on its way to passage carried by roll call (8 ayes, 0 nays). The clerk recorded each alderman voting aye. The meeting record shows the ordinance will proceed to the legislative passage stage; staff said existing employees will receive revised titles and the salary for the incumbent appointed to the comptroller position will remain unchanged.

Clarifying details included that some duties formerly handled by outside contractors or a departed financial adviser will be reassigned to in‑house staff, and that the change is principally a retitling and reorganization rather than creation of a new paid position. Staff also said the comptroller would assume responsibilities related to year‑end closeouts, buybacks, reconciliations and posting journal entries, while the assistant finance director will continue transactional and reconciliation duties.

Ending: City officials said the ordinance is intended to reduce reliance on contractors, improve timeliness of reconciliations and year‑end closeouts, and better distribute duties across the finance team. The ordinance was advanced by the Committee of the Whole with unanimous concurrence and will return for formal passage in the council’s legislative process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","5/27/25 - COW and City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Council heard a presentation on a finance department reorganization that retitles an internal position to comptroller and clarifies contract/procurement chapters; council voted unanimously to concur and send the ordinance forward.","taxTitle","Berwyn, Cook County, Illinois","taxId",4224,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6223272,"Berwyn officials discuss trap-neuter-return working-cat program and resident survey",1925,37540,1963000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3576688-075773c40a7ad4ac215a8bbb6e26f527&start=37&end=1963","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3576688-075773c40a7ad4ac215a8bbb6e26f527/thumbnail_37540.jpg","/articles/6223272/Berwyn/Cook-County/Illinois/Berwyn-officials-discuss-trap-neuter-return-working-cat-program-and-resident-survey","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223272-c947ffc8edf37aae680901c581af7fe5/orig.mp4?Expires=1773580514&Signature=Qh5TIScdskvUa5noitDamKjzs46pdO009xUPfNRzh7SckrqFHC8l9QnnRhfoQLXey7c4v~ANzXbPQwvp3g2bvu3ccF9k~ORyO595jEMReIQkWof67XZlMS68jE72s9nV1CluOwdI-9brWrLsqCnEfrbyyZb~VeYDDVuSA7si07nLE4Gys5irAihAAh4oV1YsfRUlfPWzY~vIRzOYxpGduGyJa06zwirZrJrvo3lWtatED5z5CIl7PBupyyeF~j3oD7tZb7QtAFRHhb38PoMpSANoYVPmhs7ok0tfgSnf1TpMuVQOjQElTV~QT67xh2iBfrF0L9qJVWvjfCqtfiKpyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Amber Dawn, the city administrator’s assistant, presented a draft working‑cat ordinance and a plan to identify and manage feral cat colonies in Berwyn. \"I'm looking to collect those animals, put them through the trap neuter release program ... and maybe set them up with a family or at least release them back on the streets where they can do what they naturally do,\" Dawn said.

The discussion focused on using Trap‑Neuter‑Return (TNR) as an alternative to shelter intake and euthanasia, mapping colonies to rodent‑sighting data, recruiting resident caregivers for “working‑cat” placements, and partnering with a local nonprofit, Cat Bandu. \"Every cat that goes through our system is registered. Their care takers are registered,\" said Ellen Miles, founder and director of Cat Bandu, who outlined TNR procedures and volunteer responsibilities.

Nut graf: The city brought the draft ordinance and program proposal to Committee of the Whole as a conversation starter; council members and staff discussed program logistics, resident outreach, and animal‑care practices rather than taking immediate legislative action. City staff said they will run a citywide survey to locate existing colonies, tally TNR‑treated cats, and recruit caregivers before expanding placements.

Program details most emphasized by presenters included microchipping and vaccinations for cats taken through TNR, temporary housing and acclimation for relocated cats, and caregiver commitments. Miles described medical and identification steps Cat Bandu provides: surgery, rabies vaccination, FVRCP vaccine, microchip, flea and parasite treatment and a caregiver agreement. She said acclimation enclosures are typically used for about five weeks before cats are released to a new yard and that volunteer caregivers should provide food, water and shelter.

City staff and Cat Bandu also described financial and operational details discussed at the meeting: Cat Bandu offered temporary holding for trapped cats at about $10 per day and $20 per day for sick animals; “true catch” style traps run approximately $90 each; Cat Bandu reported having more than 800 registered colonies overall, but the group could identify only an approximate number of TNR‑recorded cats in Berwyn. Dawn said she FOIAed Cook County and estimated about 135 TNR cats in Berwyn, including \"one colony of eight cats,\" but she said precise locations and caregiver contacts are not yet known.

Council members and residents asked how the city would ensure caregivers are available for relocated cats and how the city would avoid creating competing colonies in close proximity. Dawn said the survey will ask residents whether they already care for colonies, whether they would volunteer as caretakers, and where feral cats are located so staff can match colonies with rodent hot spots. City staff said Community Service Officers (CSOs) will monitor registered colonies and that the program budget includes funds for outdoor cat housing for volunteer caretakers.

Discussion vs. decision: Presenters and councilors discussed options including (a) trapping and returning cats to their original locations after TNR, (b) placing TNR cats with volunteer working‑cat families after a temporary acclimation period, or (c) delaying trapping until caregivers are identified. The ordinance on the table was described as a draft and a conversation starter; no formal vote on adopting or amending the ordinance occurred during the Committee of the Whole meeting.

Ending: Staff said the next steps are to run the resident survey, identify and register existing colonies, and coordinate with Cat Bandu on logistics and temporary holding. Dawn said she will lead the survey and outreach; Cat Bandu offered to provide technical assistance on humane trapping and caregiver agreements. The city indicated it will return to the Council with findings and any recommended ordinance language after the outreach and data collection are complete.","City staff presented a draft ordinance and a plan to survey residents to identify existing feral and working‑cat colonies, coordinate Trap‑Neuter‑Return (TNR) services with nonprofit Cat Bandu, and recruit caregivers; no ordinance vote was taken.","actionData","errors"]

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Berwyn moves to retitle finance role to comptroller; council sends ordinance amending finance code to passage

Berwyn officials discuss trap-neuter-return working-cat program and resident survey