'Dignified' Exit For Clarendon Hills Official?

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – Clarendon Hills Fire Chief Brian Leahy will have a "dignified" retirement as long as serious violations are not found, an official said Thursday.

In an email to Patch, Village Manager Zach Creer said the village has had "long ongoing conversations with Chief Leahy about a 'dignified' retirement, and there is no reason the Chief could not have a final send-off as his daughter requested, unless serious violations are uncovered by the ongoing investigation."

He was responding to comments by Leahy's daughter, Kristen Leahy, at Monday's Village Board meeting. She said the village had taken the opportunity from her father to retire with dignity.

At the meeting, the board enacted a mandatory retirement age of 65 for firefighters, which would affect the 68-year-old Leahy and three others.

Since early November, Leahy and administrative Lt. Jim Weil, who is also over 65, have been on paid administrative leave. This has been while an attorney investigates the village's compensation system for firefighters.

The board-adopted resolution states the mandatory retirement age would be in full force and effect after its approval and publication in pamphlet form.

In the email to Patch, Creer said Leahy remains an employee.

"His final date depends on the results of the investigation, but he cannot be removed just by passing an ordinance," Creer said.

The other three firefighters will no longer be frontline firefighters starting Feb. 1, the manager said.

Creer said he encouraged them to join as emergency management assistants in a new reserve corps. At this week's meeting, officials said such assistants would be paid $15 an hour.

Leahy said Thursday that he "respectfully declined" to comment on Creer's latest statements.