Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

Fairview fills public works director position

Position was vacant for half of the year

Fairview Heights hired a public works director Tuesday to fill a position that has been vacant for half a year.

Christopher C. Volkman, who also will serve in a city engineer capacity, will start Dec. 1.

The 40-year-old Fairview Heights native said he always has aspired to work for his hometown.

Volkman now lives in Belleville and has worked as the assistant city engineer for Columbia for the past year.

"I was happy where I was in Columbia, and I had a pretty good job there, but when I heard there was a job opening in Fairview, it just seemed like a good time," Volkman said. "There's a certain excitement of working for your hometown. Fairview has a special place in my heart. I'm as old as Fairview is."

Volkman said he looks forward to projects such as rebuilding the west end of Fairview Heights and the new Interstate 64 interchange.

"There's a lot of exciting times for Fairview coming up," Volkman said. "There's some good opportunities and a lot of challenges ahead, but it seems like it would be a fun time to be a part of it all."

Volkman previously worked for the Illinois Department of Transportation for seven years; Buzzi Unicem, a portland cement manufacturer, for more than two years in St. Louis; and on a contract basis with Belleville.

Fairview Heights has been without a public works director since aldermen voted May 19 not to reappoint Bob Hotz.

City Administrator Drew Awsumb had assumed the duties of the public works director during the search for a new hire.

The city surveyed 25 area municipalities to determine a public works director's median starting salary, Awsumb said.

Volkman's salary will be $78,000. His predecessor was paid $89,000.

In other business, Tuesday:

* The Finance Committee has scheduled a six-month budget review for 7 p.m. Nov. 10.

* Mayor Gail Mitchell and aldermen unanimously agreed that the city officially opposes the $1 billion University Town Center development project in Glen Carbon and the creation of STAR bonds that would pay for the project. Mitchell said he has shared the city's views with Gov. Pat Quinn.