The Village of St. Joseph is expected to hire an Interim Public Works Director on Tuesday night.
Public Works Director Mike Peters is retiring on March 31.
Village Administrator Joe Hackney said the decision to hire an interim public works director was made so the village could fill the role of public works director while a search for a permanent director continues.
“The interim in question is very experienced, and has served in the same role in much larger organizations,” Hackney said. “While having a temporary management solution in place, we also hope to benefit from having additional perspectives and experiences added to village operations for this period of time. It is always valuable to grow with other professionals in your industry.”
The village has partnered with MGT a company that provides short and long-term staffing solutions for government agencies.
“Interim department directors and City Administrators/Managers are utilized across the country – all the time,” Hackney said. “It is an extremely common solution that municipalities pursue.”
The village is entering into a contract with MGT Impact Solutions to hire Julius Hansen.
Hansen was previously the Director of Public Works for Glen Ellyn, village in DuPage County with a population of 28,846.
He served for 10 years and prior to that was public works director in La Grange Park, a village of 16,321 in Cook County.
He has served as Interim Director of Public Works for Crest Hill, a city in Will County with a population of 20,459.
The contract the village is entering into with MGT Impact Solutions states Hansen will serve as Interim Public Works Director from March 31 to July 31 and the contract may be extended to November. He will be paid $130.50 per hour. If he works an excess of 40 hours per week the rate will be $195.75.
The average work week is expected to be 24 hours per week.
The village is also required to provided three hours of travel credit for each time Hansen conducts a round trip to St. Joseph from his home and is required to pay for temporary lodging for Hansen if needed.
Hackney said he refused to put a definitive timeline on when the village would hire a permanent public works director.
“The recruitment will be briefly postponed and will continue in the near future,” Hackney said. “The job will remained posted continuously, however.”
If Hansen works 24 hours per week, he would collect $3,262.50 from the village, before taxes. If he worked until the end of July that would come to $61,987.
If his contact was extended and he worked through November, the village would pay him a total of $120,712.50 if he worked the estimated 24 hours per week.
Current Public Works Director Mike Peters pay rate is $79,807 per year.
Hackney said Hansen, like all other staff, will be paid out of the general fund.
Hackney said while the pay discrepancy may look large, it is due to the experience Hansen has.
“This candidate is experienced in much larger organizations and has a background which matches this compensation level in the marketplace,” He said. “It is also through an agency who covers insurance, workers comp, time off.”
The village posted the job description for the Director of Public Works in February.
They are looking to hire someone who will report to the village administrator and be paid between $74,529 and $96,987.
The Public Works Director is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and managing the
daily operations and long-range functions of the Public Works Department.
This position ensures the efficient delivery of municipal services related to streets, stormwater, parks, fleet, and facilities while maintaining compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.
The Director serves as a senior member of the Village’s management team and provides technical expertise, leadership, and strategic direction to support community goals, infrastructure sustainability, and service excellence.
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