Darien Adds Position To Help Businesses

DARIEN, IL – Darien aldermen voted this week to hire a part-time employee to help recruit new businesses and keep existing ones in town.

One alderman dissented.

In November, city officials proposed hiring a business liaison and recruitment coordinator.

The part-time position is expected to cost up to $41,000 a year. That's if the person works a maximum of 25 hours a week.

Officials are also considering taking over the Darien Chamber of Commerce. But they said hiring the liaison is separate from that initiative.

Besides retaining and recruiting businesses, the city expects the liaison to also work with a full-time employee to plan and carry out city events.

"It's clearly the direction we need to go," Alderwoman Mary Sullivan said.

Alderman Tom Chlystek was the lone vote against the position

In an email to Patch on Wednesday, Chlystek said hiring the liaison was a good idea.

But he said his concern was bringing the person with the best qualifications and experience in business and marketing. He noted the position's wage of $31.66 an hour.

Chlystek said he wanted the city to require the person to have a business or marketing degree with a required number of years of experience in those fields, similar to other positions.

"It’s only a PREFERRED bachelor's degree in a related field," Chlystek said in the email. "So it’s really open to lots of interpretation, I feel. At the end of the day, I want the best candidate for the taxpayers of Darien, which I believe everyone wants."