Washington isn't just in the process of a selecting a new city administrator.
The city council and city officials also are looking for a new finance director to replace Joanie Baxter, who has been in the position for slightly more than 31 years and will retire next year.
How much involvement the new city administrator should have in the selection of a new finance director was a lengthy topic of conversation at Monday's city council meeting.
Council agreed the involvement should be substantial.
"That's building that [new] administrator's team, and I'd like to see them be an integral part of that process to the extent that's possible," said Alderperson Brandon Moss.
Alderperson Mike McIntyre said he thinks the hiring of a finance director should be one of the new city administrator's main initial tasks.
"The new city administrator should be deeply involved in this hire," said Alderperson Paula Johnson.
If all goes well, the new city administrator and new finance director will be hired about the same time.
The new city administrator is tentatively scheduled to be selected the first week of December. The anticipated start date for the new finance director is sometime in January. Baxter's final day of work will likely be in late April.
That would give Baxter about five months to do onboarding with her replacement, although Baxter's work week typically exceeds 55 hours from February through May as she builds the city's next fiscal year budget.
There are no guarantees the selection process for a new finance director will go smoothly because of the requirements of the position.
"While there are many CPA's and private-sector finance professionals who are qualified for the job, individuals with municipal or government finance experience are less common," said Interim City Administrator Dennis Carr.
Parking restrictions eased for RV's
Also at Monday's meeting, the council unanimously approved:
• Allowing a recreational vehicle or travel trailer to be parked on a city street for up to 24 hours over a seven-day period.
• A revised solicitor ordinance that includes requiring most solicitors to register with the city.
• Sharing the cost of traffic signal work at the intersection of U.S. Route 24 and Cummings Lane that's part of a 2026 Illinois Department of Transportation [IDOT] project to resurface the highway from Cummings east to just west of Grosenbach Road in Eureka. The city's share will be nearly $66,400. Washington and IDOT have an agreement to always share the cost of work on the U.S Route 24 and Cummings Lane signals.
• Spending $15,000 for a sponsorship for the Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champion basketball tournament Nov. 25-29.
• Paying nearly $210,750 to the Washington Fire Department to cover half the cost of a new ambulance, as required in the city's contract with the department.
• Providing slightly more than $9,000 in tax increment financing [TIF] funds to the developers of the Tangled Roots Craft Beer & Kitchen restaurant to cover 30% of interest costs incurred in October. The total interest cost reimbursement since 2021 in the TIF agreement is now more than $155,100, and total TIF funding is now more than $830,000. December is the last month for interest reimbursement.
• Renewing for two years an intergovernmental agreement with Washington Township to provide American with Disabilities Act [ADA] paratransit services for city and township residents through the CityLift program. The $200,000 cost will be covered by a grant ($100,000), the city ($50,000) and township ($50,000).
• Transferring from Tazewell County to the city the jurisdiction of a portion of North Main Street from just north of North Street north to Cruger Road.
• Declaring 22 unclaimed bicycles – 13 children and nine adult – being stored by the police department as surplus property, and allowing the bicycles to be donated to the charitable organization for distribution.
• An agreement with Tazewell County to continue to provide animal and rabies control services in 2026. Cost to the city will be nearly $20,600.
Police reimbursed for DNC security help
Here are highlights of department heads' reports to the council:
• The police department was reimbursed more than $5,100 by the state for sending an officer to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last year.
• More than 200 pounds of prescription drugs collected by the police department over the last several months was delivered to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for disposal.
• Police Officer Joe Dubois graduated from the Kane County Sheriff's Canine Handler Training Program and is now in service with Styx, a lab trained in scent detection and tracking.
• The majority of Candlewood Bridge repair project work will start in the spring.
• The next "Let's Talk Washington" session with Mayor Lilija Stevens, Police Chief Jeff Stevens and one council member will at 1 p.m. Nov. 24 at Brickhouse BBQ, Burgers & Brews at 1021 N. Cummings Lane.
