Jamie Munks
The State Journal-Register
The Springfield City Council on Tuesday opted to contract with a Chicago-based firm for up to $79,000 for recommendations on implementing an inspector general position to look into wrongdoing in city government. Some aldermen, during a lengthy discussion, fixated on the need for an inspector general post that would be independent from the mayor’s office.
After a lot of back-and-forth about how the position would be set up, cost concerns and whether to seek bids for the work, the council voted 8-2 to spend up to $79,000 on a contract with Hillard Heintze LLC, which will provide recommendations about how the city could implement an inspector general.
Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin and Ward 9 Ald. Steve Dove cast the “no” votes.
Generally, an inspector general would look into reports of wrongdoing and malfeasance in city government, which could be reported by city employees or citizens.
Before the vote, aldermen heard a presentation from Hillard Heintze’s chief operating officer, Ken Bouche, whose firm has experience working in a similar capacity with Chicago’s Metra and the Department of Defense. He told the council Hillard Heintze is uniquely poised to help the city implement an inspector general.
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The 1987 consent decree established Springfield’s aldermanic form of government, a response to a lawsuit that challenged the city’s earlier commission form of government. The city actually has an inspector general position that was created years ago but has sat vacant. Under the current set-up in city code, the inspector general is part of the executive part of city government, which includes the mayor, city treasurer and city clerk, City Attorney Todd Greenburg said.
That could create some challenges to how some of the aldermen want to see an inspector general position work. “I don’t think by contract you can hire someone who will perform an executive function,” Greenburg told the council.
McMenamin’s “no” vote hinged on the question of an inspector general’s independence from the mayor’s office. “Under the consent decree, it seems we’re kind of locked into the executive controlling the inspector general,” McMenamin said.
Dove voted against the proposal because he wanted better answers to some of the questions about how the post will work before “we railroad something through,” he said.
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In other business:
* Aldermen didn’t bring a proposal out of committee to reaffirm the city’s contract with NAPA Auto Parts for the parts room at the new consolidated vehicle maintenance garage, something Mayor Mike Houston said last week he hoped would happen.
The administration and aldermen have been wrangling over the contract for weeks, since aldermen began to question the existence of an intergovernmental agreement between the state of Illinois and the National Joint Powers Alliance, which was the basis for their approval in April of the city’s $3.75 million contract with NAPA.
The administration has emphasized the need to move forward as soon as possible, so the city doesn’t miss out on savings from having the consolidated garage open and because there’s a strain on city staff in the meantime, while a number of aldermen have said they’d rather terminate the contract and put it out to bid.
* The council voted 10-0 to direct City Water, Light and Power to prepare a feasibility report on placing electric vehicle charging stations throughout Springfield.
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Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 