Posted: June 30, 2009

Police Chief Peter Hoell said he will work without pay on his six furlough days scheduled for the remainder of the year as part of a village budget-cutting plan.

Village Administrator David Schornack last month presented the plan, which eliminates 17 village positions, reduces hours at the Recycling Center and requires all full- and part-time village employees to take one day off without pay each month.

Schornack said the plan excludes police patrol officers, dispatchers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians. Library personnel also are excluded.

However, he said the plan did include furloughs for the police chief and the department's two captains and five lieutenants, in addition to the fire chief.

The Police and Fire Commission on Monday decided to include the full-time deputy fire chief, who previously was to be excluded from the furloughs.

The plan also calls for police lieutenants to fill in for patrol officers to reduce overtime.

Hoell said the Police Department response is incident-based, so residents with minor problems may have to be patient if officers are responding to a serious incident.

"We are going to be a little bit thinner in staffing," he said.

Hoell said he and his captains, and possibly some lieutenants, will work on their furlough days "for the good of the department." Hoell said his position is not tied to a 40-hour work week.

Schornack said village officials will continue to monitor the budget situation to determine if furloughs will be required for more than six months or if any other additional cuts need to be made.

Fire Chief Gary Pollpeter was unavailable for comment.