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Mundelein eliminates fire chief position
Excerpts from the Chicago Tribune:
Earlier this month, Mundelein made a significant administrative change by promoting its police chief to oversee both the police and fire departments, instead of filling the vacant fire chief position. Village Administrator John Lobaito mentioned that this new structure will serve as a trial run for 12 to 24 months, during which time Mundelein plans to explore opportunities for resource-sharing with nearby towns. Countryside Fire Protection District has already shown interest, according to Countryside Fire Chief Jeff Steingart.
"When Mundelein first approached us, we opened the door to start a dialogue about potential collaborations," Steingart said. "While it's still very early stages and they're considering all options, we expect that our leadership teams will meet soon to discuss further."
Steingart added that his enthusiasm stems from Senate Resolution 760, passed unanimously by the Illinois Senate on July 15. This resolution encourages Lake County's local governments to consolidate in order to save taxpayer money and established a committee tasked with studying these possibilities, with a report due by October 2016.
Mundelein's recent leadership change occurred following the retirement of Fire Chief Tim Sashko in April due to recurring neck injuries, and the subsequent departure of Deputy Chief Tim Leidig for a position in West Chicago. On August 10, the village trustees created a new role called Public Safety Director, appointing Police Chief Eric Guenther to the post, effectively reducing the administrative staff count.
"This isn't the final solution," Lobaito stated prior to the vote on August 10. "It's meant to remain in place until we determine it doesn't work or until we discover a better approach."
Battalion Chief Ben Yoder, who had been handling administrative duties since Sashko's departure, was promoted to Deputy Fire Chief at the same meeting. Internal promotions will result in one firefighter vacancy, according to Guenther, but Mundelein will not hire any additional personnel in either department.
The ordinance approved by Mundelein explicitly states that the roles of fire chief and police chief will remain unfilled but available should the trustees decide to revert to the previous administrative setup.
In the interim, Mundelein will save over $135,000 by not replacing Sashko. Sashko's last salary was $147,113 annually, whereas Guenther's new stipend is $971.66 monthly. Additionally, Guenther's police chief salary increased to $153,340, representing a 7.6% annual raise.
Countryside already collaborates closely with Mundelein's fire department, so adding shared administrators wouldn't pose major challenges. Although the Countryside fire station on Midlothian Road technically serves Mundelein's area, Countryside isn't responsible for the surrounding residential and commercial zones.
Countryside is an independent taxing entity providing fire services to around 35,000 residents across 24 square miles, covering parts of Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Hawthorn Woods, Indian Creek, Kildeer, and unincorporated areas.
Back in the mid-1990s, when Mundelein's borders edged closer to Countryside's Midlothian Road fire station, representatives from both sides agreed that Countryside would assist along Midlothian Road, while Mundelein would aid Countryside along Route 45.
"I believe we can work toward full consolidation, not just between Mundelein and Countryside, but with other agencies too," Steingart noted. "This is a long process involving many steps, like getting voter approval. However, we all aim to save lives and many of us already collaborate."
Steingart highlighted that consolidation is already happening in the dispatch area. For several years now, the Vernon Hills police department has been running a dispatch center that also coordinates for Countryside, Lincolnshire police, and Libertyville police and fire services.
This setup enables each municipality to cut costs while enhancing communication during emergencies. A study is currently underway to evaluate the feasibility of an even larger merger. Such consolidation could offer better purchasing power, expand lower-level jobs through restructuring, and improve overall service without raising taxes.
Vernon Hills Police Chief Mark Fleischhauer, who manages the dispatch center, elaborated on this topic during a July 7 village board meeting. He mentioned that the Lake County Emergency Telephone System Board is investing $350,000 in a study to determine the viability of creating a countywide dispatch center.
Additionally, the Emergency Telephone System Board contributed $2 million in August 2014 towards constructing a new series of radio towers in Lake County. These were funded by $7 million from Lake County because the existing radios used by sheriffs and public works crews are outdated.
Once these towers are operational, anyone equipped with the new handheld radios and compatible dispatch center equipment can access the network, according to Lt. Mike Gregory of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Currently, the Vernon Hills dispatch center is utilizing this new network.
On July 7, Fleischhauer persuaded Vernon Hills trustees to back the study for a unified county dispatch center and approved funds to transition the current dispatch center to the Motorola network.
Previously, Vernon Hills relied on a small collection of radio towers owned and maintained by a few local municipalities. Now, the cost of maintaining a radio network is being shared among state agencies and an increasing number of Illinois municipalities.
Fleischhauer stated that if a countywide dispatch center is constructed, teams in Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Libertyville, and Countryside will already possess the necessary radios.
Mundelein’s police and fire services aren’t part of the consolidated dispatch center in Vernon Hills, and local officials are still evaluating their options regarding radio networks.