First reported 4/14/2010 4:15 p.m.
Forest Park Fire Chief Steve Glinke will soon be taking on the additional job of head of the building department.
The position is formally known as the Director of Public Health and Safety.
The former director, Mike Boyle, resigned suddenly last August.
Glinke’s appointment must be confirmed by the village council. That will occur at the council’s next meeting on April 26, said Village Administrator Tim Gillian. Glinke will continue to serve as fire chief and split his time between the two positions.
“I’ll be doing both positions,” Glinke said. “It’s not an uncommon practice. The fire chief of LaGrange Park is the director of the building department. In years past the fire chief was the director of the building department in Berwyn. In Westchester the last fire chief was the director of the building department on the commercial side. It’s been done before. Communities are looking for creative ways to do more with less.”
Glinke will do a great job, said Commissioner Mike Curry.
“With Chief Glinke I think people are going to see a more efficient and more effective department,” Curry said.
“First and foremost Chief Glinke is a phenomenal leader. He is a well respected man. His background and his ability to lead the fire department not only proves he was a worthy candidate it proves he was the best candidate. He’s a great communicator. He’s well respected in the community,” said Curry
Since Boyle left, the building department has been led by long time department employee Bob Teets. He will be retiring at the end of this month. Hiring Glinke will save the village a lot of money, said Curry.
“With Mike Boyle leaving and Bob Teets soon retiring and Chief Glinke coming aboard when you include salary and benefits the village has saved probably $200,000 or more,” Curry said. Curry said that Glinke will be paid only a fairly minimal amount for his additional duties.
Glinke, 49, has been a firefighter in Forest Park for 25 years and has been fire chief since 2003. As a young firefighter Glinke worked for three years in the Fire Prevention Bureau making sure that buildings in Forest Park were fire code compliant. He also worked on planned unit developments.
Glinke said that he anticipates spending about 60 percent of his time, at least at first, in the building department. He will have a regular office in the department in the basement of Village Hall on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the village’s planning consultant Jo Ellen Charlton will be maintaining office hours.
Glinke said it will probably take him six to eight weeks to evaluate the building department and implement any changes.
