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Village planner asks board to approve $55,000 to cover consultant invoices and staffing
Summary
Village planner Dan Siegel asked trustees to approve $55,000 from the general fund to pay reduced consultant invoices and fund staffing changes while the planning office transitions away from higher-cost contract reviews; trustees agreed to place the request on tonight’s regular meeting agenda.
Dan Siegel, the village planner, told trustees on Sept. 23 that the planning department needs an additional $55,000 to cover prior consultant invoices and to stabilize staffing while the office reduces reliance on expensive contract reviews.
Siegel said an unexpectedly large invoice from earlier years prompted a review; staff negotiated the total down from roughly $90,000 to about $79,000 and have begun recovering some premature reimbursements. He described steps the department has taken to prevent future surprise bills, including requiring monthly statements from consultants and using a closeout verification form "so then they can't come back to us 6 months or a year later," as he put it.
Siegel said some of the consultant work was valid and that much of the billing was general planning support rather than escrow work. He also noted that one former consultant staffer has been converted to a permanent village employee at a lower hourly rate, which reduces future contract costs.
Trustees agreed the funding request should be on tonight’s regular meeting agenda and asked staff to provide any additional documentation trustees will need for the vote.
Next steps: the $55,000 request will appear on the regular meeting agenda; trustees will consider approval there.
