By Michael S. Hoey
Correspondent
The Darien Village Board on Monday approved a resolution amending the 2018 budget to allow paying a stipend to the appointed commissioners of the newly created Joint Commission of Fire and EMS Commissioners.
The board approved the appointment of Randy Wutke, Alice Davis, Charlie Scott, Lori Taylor and Richard Kaiser to the commission on Dec. 18. Board President Kurt Zipp recommended at that time a small stipend be considered attending meetings.
Administrator Rebecca LeMire said based on the joint nature of the commission with shared revenues and expense between the Village and Town of Darien, she recommended the village and town boards approve an official budget amendment. The Town Board approved the amendment Jan. 4.
The amendment appropriates $4,400 toward commission operations in 2018 with $3,200 of that going toward stipends to commissioners for training and meeting attendance. Commissioners will be paid $50 per meeting, and $100 will be paid to two commissioners to attend training in 2018. The remaining amount was divided between social security costs, travel expenses, conventions and training and miscellaneous supplies and expenses.
Doctor’s Office sign
The board approved a conditional use permit that will allow the Doctor’s Office at 124 N. Walworth St. to erect a 10-foot-tall pylon sign. Zoning regulations permit signs to be no more than 8 feet tall without a conditional use permit. A permit allows signs to be as tall as 20 feet.
Applicant Dave Dougherty plans to erect an 8-foot by 12-foot sign on an existing 2-foot-tall sign base. LeMire said a public hearing was noticed and held Jan. 10, and property owners within 200 feet were also notified. The village received no comments from the public. The Plan Commission and LeMire, as the village zoning administrator, recommended approving the permit.
Write-in candidate
Mark Wenzel, son of board member Robert Wenzel, has filed the necessary paperwork to be an official write-in candidate for the Village Board on April 3. LeMire said Wenzel missed the deadline to submit the paperwork required to get on the official ballot. Robert Wenzel is not running for re-election in April. The three official candidates are incumbents Cheryl Kaufenberg and William Volmer and newcomer Sheila M. Stirmel.
New audit provider
The board approved hiring Sitzberger & Co. certified public accountants and business advisors in Brookfield to perform the 2017 village audit. LeMire said Pat Romenesko is no longer offering the service through his own business and now works for Sitzberger.
LeMire said it was too late to put the job out for bid, but Sitzberger offered to perform the audit for the same price the village paid Romenesko in the past. LeMire said the village could put the 2018 audit up for bid at a later time.
