The new North Judson Town Superintendent was selected during Monday night’s council meeting. With a vote of 4-1, Joe Leszek was hired to the position.
The duties of the Town Superintendent include, but aren’t limited to, overseeing and informing the council about the utilities.
During the month of March, members interviewed a handful of potential candidates and discussed their options during various executive sessions and special meetings before coming to this decision.
Council members John Rowe, Jane-Ellen Felchuck, James Young and Josh Brown voted in favor of the hire while Councilwoman Wendy Hoppe presented the oppositional vote.
Leszek currently holds a position on the Valparaiso Sewer Department and noted that he’ll need to give his employer two weeks notice. His expected start date as Town Superintendent will be Monday, April 15th.
A question about Leszek’s position as Fire Chief was raised by a member of the public who asked if it’s permissible for the town to pay him for both jobs simultaneously.
While Town Attorney Justin Schramm didn’t have an answer off the top of his head, during the course of the meeting, he located and cited an Indiana Code (IC 36-8-3-12) that pertained to the matter.
Schramm referenced the statute, “Members of the safety board and any members of the township, town or city Police Department, Fire Department or Volunteer Fire Department may [sub section 2] be appointed to any office and serve in that office if appointed.”
While he is staying on as Fire Chief, Leszek will be stepping down as Code Enforcement Officer. Town Marshal Kelly Fisher and officers in her department will be taking over the duties for the time being until another individual is hired to fill the position.
On a related note, members discussed a letter of resignation that was submitted by Interim Town Superintendent Randy Schwartz on Friday, March 29th. There was a unanimous vote to not accept the resignation at that time since Schwartz is scheduled to meet with officials in an executive session on Wednesday. to discuss the matter further.
If Schwartz were to leave the department, North Judson would technically be without a certified wastewater operator, which is a state-mandated requirement.
Officials are currently working to ensure the town will be able to stay in compliance with regulations by investigating various potential options. When the time comes to make a decision, the town may need to contract out those services from an individual with the necessary qualifications.
It should be noted that Utility Employee Kim Kapp is in the process of attending certification classes. During the utilities report at Monday night’s meeting she informed members that she’s been coordinating with IDEM officials and is taking steps to become an operator in training.
To address a comment that was made earlier in the meeting regarding the town’s current compliance, Kapp also mentioned that the State Inspector came by the Wastewater Plant earlier that day. She said he assessed various water samplings and reviewed paperwork and didn’t note any violations.
More information from the North Judson Town Council meeting will be shared on WKVI’s Kankakee Valley Viewpoints Program, this Sunday at noon.
