By Michael S. Hoey
Correspondent
The Village of Darien announced at its meeting last week the hiring of Lindsey Peterson as its new Administrator/Clerk/Treasurer. Current Administrator Rebecca LeMire is leaving the village effective Friday to become the new City Manager in Fort Atkinson.
The Village Board voted unanimously to hire Peterson on Feb. 10 at a special meeting. She will begin her new position with the village on March 1.
A press release from the board said it “looks forward to working with Ms. Peterson as the next Village Administrator/Clerk/Treasurer. Her education, public sector experience, and ties to the area make her a great fit for the position.”
The release further stated the board is looking “forward to working together to keep Darien moving forward in a positive and productive manner.”
Peterson has a bachelor of science degree social change and development and a master’s degree in public administration. She is currently a senior budget and management analyst with Milwaukee County.
Peterson has over 10 years of experience working at the federal, state, and local levels of government, according to the press release.
“She has a history of providing exemplary customer service to elected officials and the public and strong oral and written communication skills,” the release stated.
Peterson grew up in Darien, attended school in the Delavan-Darien School District, and has many family and friends living in the area.
Her goal, according to the press release, was to return to this area to serve as a local government administrator after completing the master’s program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
“I am very excited for the opportunity to work closely with the Village Board and the citizens of Darien,” Peterson said in the release.
One duty Peterson will not have is Zoning Administrator. That responsibility was included in the job description of LeMire but will not be passed on to Peterson.
The board instead approved a contract with Shannon Markley to take over the zoning duties along with the code enforcement she currently handles for the village. The contract for Markley runs through Dec. 31, 2024.
Board approves purchase
The board approved the purchase of a new Morbark woodchipper at a cost of $48,386. The village had budgeted $45,000 for the purchase.
The purchase of the new chipper will ultimately be lower than that figure because the Public Works Department plans to list the current chipper for sale with a minimum bid of $10,000.
If no one offers that price, the village can trade the current chipper in for just over $8,000 toward the cost of the new chipper.
The board also approved declaring a 2003 Ford 550 truck as surplus and authorized its sale.
Meeting date changed
The date for the March regular meeting of the board was changed from March 15 to March 22. It will begin at 7 p.m.
