Northfield council adopts emergency ordinance on finance assistant and confirms Shannon Conway

The Village of Northfield council voted on Jan. 8 to adopt an emergency ordinance amending the codified ordinance governing the finance assistant position and confirmed Shannon Conway as the village's full‑time finance assistant.

Council moved quickly through the measures. Councilmember Jenn Domzalski moved to suspend the three‑reading rule on Ordinance 2020‑01; Nick Magistrelli seconded and the motion passed. A subsequent motion to adopt the ordinance was made by Gary Vojtush, seconded by Alan Hipps, and the ordinance was approved by the council.

Council then considered Resolution 2020‑02 to confirm the mayor's appointment of Shannon Conway as a full‑time finance assistant. A motion to suspend the three readings and a motion for passage were made and both passed; the resolution was adopted.

The meeting minutes record that the votes on these matters were unanimous among those voting; no opposition was recorded. Earlier in the meeting Finance Director and Clerk of Council Jennifer Potvin said she was closing out the 2019 fiscal year and would be out of town the following week, with Conway covering Finance Department duties in her absence.

Procedural steps taken at the meeting included standard motions to suspend readings before adopting the emergency ordinance and resolution. The council also approved several other routine motions at the Jan. 8 meeting, including an appointment of Mayor Jesse Nehez to the Village Cemetery Board and scheduling a Fire & Safety Committee meeting to review fire station plans.

Next steps: the ordinance and resolution are recorded as adopted in the minutes; the Finance Department will proceed with Conway in the interim coverage role noted by the finance director.