By Andrea Earnest | Enterprise Staff
news@enterprisepublications.com
@PlainfieldNews
Mark Stofko became a village employee three decades ago, and Plainfield Village Board members congratulated the water division superintendent for 30 years of service.
At its Feb. 1 meeting, the board recognized Stofko’s anniversary and presented him with the 2016 Samuel A. Greeley Award .
Mayor Mike Collins said Stofko, who he called the “energizer bunny,” has had a major impact on the village.
“When Mark started working in Plainfield, the population was only about 3,000 and the water system contained only two wells, two water towers and 20 miles of water main,” Collins said. “The population now has grown to 40,000 and we have 230 miles of water main and five towers.”
Stofko managed and designed the construction of the village lake water pump station, the installation of more than 150 miles of new water main and was involved in several other major projects.
The board also appointed Cassie Vaughn to the Advisory Task Force on Economic Development with a term expiring April 30, 2020.
Compensation study, tech purchases approved
Information Technology Director Rick Kaczanko gave the board an overview of several technology purchases.
The board approved the purchase of two Dell servers for $8,673.98.
Trustee Garrett Peck said he approved all the purchases, saying he believed they brought the village into the next generation of best practices.
The board also approved the purchase of a firewall and associated services for $21,301.35, as well as a ShoreTel phone system for $130,872.82 and the associated equipment and licenses for $28,930.65. The firewall is used to protect the village, as well as public works and police networks.
“The current firewall is very rudimentary,” Kaczanko said.
As for the phone system, the current system is 12 to 15 years old, and reaching the end of its life, Kaczanko added. The new system will also join several departments of the village together, which the current system does not do.
“It brings us into a true network phone system,” Kaczanko said. “It allows us the capability of having better desk phones, better reliability and better automation.”
Lastly, the board approved the execution of a contract with GovHR USA to conduct a classification and compensation study for $30,000.
The company will examine the organizational structure of the village and make recommendations for the village’s future.
Director of Management Services Traci Pleckham said that to staff’s knowledge, an objective third party has never come in to look at the structuring and plans for the village.
The contract will be funded from the contingency line item within the corporate fund, according to Pleckham.