Departure Of Burr Ridge Receptionist Sparks Concerns

BURR RIDGE, IL — The Burr Ridge village government has no immediate plan to replace a "super pleasant" receptionist who has worked in Village Hall for years. In response, a couple of village trustees have expressed concern whether the village should go without someone designated to handle the public.

The last day for Nancy Jezewski, who made about $15,000 a year in her part-time job, was a couple of weeks ago, the village said.

That was bad news for Trustee Joe Snyder.

"I have called in many times over the last number of years and Nancy has been absolutely wonderful," Snyder said. "Not once in all those years was Nancy ever not been super pleasant and not made me feel my day was going to be better."

Village Administrator Doug Pollock said he was holding off on replacing the position because he wanted to see the budget numbers come in. Meanwhile, he said, other staff, including those in the finance department, are handling the receptionist's duties.

"This isn't a large budget number, but all dollars are equal," Pollock said.

But Snyder said the village was doing a disservice to the public by keeping the position vacant.

"I'm a business guy. I'm willing to watch nickels and quarters. I think it would be very wrong to drag someone from the finance department to try to answer phones. I think this is a mistake," he said.

Trustee Anita Mital agreed.

"The receptionist is the face of Village Hall. It's very important to have a pleasant person on top of everything," she said. Without a receptionist, "messages will get lost. I think it's worth investing the $15,000 to make sure we have a person there at all times."

Mayor Gary Grasso said the village would monitor the situation

"If there are any deficiencies in serving the public, we'll fill it right away," he said.