'Last Chance' For Clarendon Hills Manager

CLARENDON HILLS, IL — The Clarendon Hills Village Board indicated this week it would have little patience with any more reports of unprofessional conduct by the village manager.

Earlier this week, the board approved a new contract with Village Manager Kevin Barr. It includes what is commonly known as a "last chance" clause.

The old agreement required five of the seven board members to vote to fire Barr. Under the new terms, the board, at its sole discretion, may immediately dismiss Barr if it determines he has engaged in unprofessional behavior.

Such behavior includes any conduct involving a co-worker that the board sees as harmful to the village. That includes any humor that makes a co-worker feel uncomfortable.

The board also can fire Barr for any comment based on any protected characteristic of a co-worker or other person. Such protected categories include age, race, nationality and gender.

The contract also calls for Barr's immediate termination if he retaliates against any co-worker or other person for making a complaint or taking part in an investigation.

Under the agreement, if the board finds Barr engaged in any of the listed behaviors, he is entitled to no severance pay. According to the contract, the Village Board is required to give Barr due process, but its decisions are final and cannot be reviewed in any manner or forum.

The agreement lasts through May 15, 2023.

At Monday's Village Board meeting, residents criticized Barr for twice joking that Fire Chief Brian Leahy was around in 1930. Leahy has been with the fire department since 1971.

Barr's comments were made during a mid-January meeting of the Village Board's Public Safety Committee. The comments drew laughs from other village officials. At one point, Barr added, "I'm old too."

Residents alleged Barr's comments were a form of age discrimination. And Leahy's daughter accused Barr of "brazen misconduct" by showing age bias.

The board held two closed meetings before unanimously voting for the new contract Monday, without making any comments.

Patch filed a public records request Wednesday to determine whether any employees filed complaints against Barr.

Barr and Village President Len Austin have declined to comment on the situation.

Barr, who lives in Elk Grove Village, makes $170,000 a year. He took the helm in 2015.