Crest Hill council approves McGuire as interim administrator

CREST HILL – Crest Hill officials have approved an interim city administrator after Administrator Jim Elmquist resigned after just six months in the position.

The City Council voted unanimously Monday to name City Attorney and Assistant City Administrator Heather McGuire to the interim role, which she starts Wednesday.

“She’s highly qualified and she was the most logical choice for the position,” Mayor Ray Soliman said Tuesday.

McGuire has worked three years for the city in various roles and became assistant administrator during the contracted nationwide search that led to Elmquist’s hiring.

Soliman said that because municipal elections will be held in April; his position will be up for re-election; and city administrator contracts typically run concurrent to mayoral terms, Crest Hill officials will hold off on finding a replacement for Elmquist until spring.

In the meantime, McGuire said Tuesday that she will have two immediate priorities as interim administrator. The first is a new public works building at 2101 N. Oakland Ave., Crest Hill’s former city hall site, on which she hopes the city will complete construction in the spring. Her second priority is a facility plan for upgrades to the water treatment plant at 1631 Gaylord Road.

McGuire will continue to serve as city attorney while holding the interim position.

As for her work with the city after the election, McGuire said she is interested in taking on the role of city administrator on a non-interim basis.

“I would love to be a city administrator for my career,” she said.

Soliman said he will use the next six months to evaluate McGuire in the role and take her performance into consideration if he is re-elected.

The mayor accepted Elmquist’s resignation letter Aug 24. Elmquist said Tuesday he is leaving Crest Hill to be closer to his family in Dodge County, Minnesota, and that he will be returning to the job of Dodge County administrator, which he held prior to coming to Crest Hill.

“This place has actually been really good to me,” he said of the city.

Elmquist’s last day was Tuesday.

“He’s leaving here on great terms,” Soliman said.

Also Monday, the council unanimously approved three contracts with Utility Services Co. Inc. for cleaning, painting, inspections and preventive maintenance for each of Crest Hill’s three water towers, Soliman said.

Utility Services was the sole bidder and its services will cost the village an average of $306,000 annually per water tower, Director of Public Works Tony Torres said.