Unspoken Subject At Clarendon Hills Meeting

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – The unspoken subject at Monday night's Clarendon Hills Village Board meeting was Village Manager Zach Creer.

And, yes, he technically remains at the helm. When Patch began writing this story late Tuesday afternoon, Creer's name and photo still appeared on the website. Then it disappeared. His resignation is effective Oct. 1.

On Friday, Patch reported on the details of Creer's proposed severance agreement. Village President Eric Tech put Creer on leave on Aug. 5.

At Monday's meeting, the board approved the severance deal and the appointment of Paul Dalen, the part-time public works director, as acting manager.

The measures were approved as part of a bundle of other business known as the "consent agenda."

Not a word was said about either item. The village president and all six trustees have kept their lips publicly sealed about the reason for Creer's exit.

At the beginning of the meeting, Dalen, a former police chief, sat in Creer's usual chair at the board's dais. That was even before he was approved as acting manager. A nameplate identified him as "public works director."

After the meeting, Patch asked Tech whether anything involving Creer had put the village in jeopardy.

"Not at all," Tech responded.

In July 2023, Creer became the manager, replacing the retiring Kevin Barr. Creer had been assistant village manager for a few years.

In early 2022, Barr was placed on leave for two weeks because of a job issue. Public documents later showed that officials misled residents about what happened. Patch pinpointed the falsehoods.