County executive keeps Michelle Jett as interim facilities director amid debate over timing to post vacancy
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Summary
Champaign County Executive Steve Summers told the board he chose to have Director of Administration Michelle Jett serve as interim facilities director rather than immediately post and hire a new director, citing the county move and ARPA-funded projects; some board members criticized the lack of prior notice and urged earlier posting.
Champaign County Executive Steve Summers told the county board on Sept. 9 that he has appointed Michelle Jett, the county director of administration, to serve as interim facilities director rather than immediately post a long-vacant facilities director position.
Why it matters: The facilities director oversees ongoing facility projects tied to American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and other time-sensitive work. Board members disagreed on whether delaying a public posting is the right approach and whether the board should have been briefed earlier.
Summers explained his reasoning to board members: when the former facilities director left, the county was in the middle of a major move and still managing ARPA-funded projects and contractor work at Bennett. “At the time that our former facilities director left, we were midway through the move… We would get closer to the end of the year and make sure that those funds are all passed through the federal government,” he said. “What made sense to me was to have Michelle step in as an interim until the timeline worked better.”
Several board members pushed back. Miss Rogers and others argued the county should begin posting the position now and then set a later start date for a hire. “I don't understand why we can't post the job, start the interview process, and then tell someone they can start December 1 or January 1,” one county board member said. Multiple members said they were not informed in advance that the executive planned to delay posting.
Board members also raised concerns about transparency. “I wish we would have heard this in an open forum sooner,” one member said; another suggested the board had a right to earlier notice because the decision affects county operations and budget planning.
Summers and Michelle Jett said the interim step was meant to preserve continuity, protect ARPA-funded timelines and avoid a two-month gap while a new director got up to speed. The administration said posting is likely to occur at the end of the year or early next year.
Ending: The board did not reverse the executive’s decision at the meeting. Members asked for clearer communication in the future and for the executive to return with a posting timeline; several board members said they preferred posting sooner rather than later.
