Dale Spencer Retirement From Du Quoin Public Works an Opening for Doug Bishop?

The Du Quoin City Council Monday night accepted the retirement resignation of Du Quoin Public Works director Dale Spencer effective at the end of the year.

Spencer's service to Du Quoin spans over three decades as a paid-on-call firefighter, then city council member and most recently public works director.

He was elected to the city council in April 1997 and left that position to become public works director in December 1999.

His tenure included the work of coordinating projects between departments, preparatory grant research work, working alongside health and safety officer Ron Darnell to create and enforce property maintenance ordinances and navigate through some oft-times treacherous zoning issues.

He helped establish and maintain the city's recycling program, which includes three repositories for recyclables. He received perennial recognition from the Tree USA program and worked diligently to replant trees in Keyes City Park.

Spencer worked alongside the late city administrator Blaine Bastien on sewer resleeving, supported the street department in its street and sidewalk initiatives, worked alongside J.T. Blankinship to extend water lines southwest of Du Quoin, and assisted in researching Brownsfield environmental cleanup grants.

Spencer's retirement comes with a measure of politics.

In writing the job description for a replacement, the required qualifications will include having a degree in engineering.

That seems to lock out most applicants and open a door for only a handful that would include former Perry County Unit Road District engineer Doug Bishop.

Bishop had applied for the position of city administrator, which was given to Brad Myers.

The county board earlier this year did not renew Doug's six-year contract after some infighting over interpretation of state statute on who controls a road district--the county board or its engineer--and Doug's suggestion that his son be hired to a vacancy in the road district. Doug felt the hiring of his son, who also has an engineering degree, would provide the district with a measure of professional backup.

Bishop was professional in his work, but drew lines in the sand on who would control the road district and there were odds and ends of compensation and staffing issues.

The county board had the last word, however, and Bishop's contract was not renewed.

It was a very short meeting of the city council, which held over a proclamation supporting the Illinois Department of Transportation December Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month initiative.

The street department will run notices in the newspaper in the coming days seeking sealed bids for a surplus ditch mower implement that mounts on the side of a tractor and for a covered trailer which is no longer works for the current mowing equipment.

Treasurer Jacqueline Williams reminded the community to attend the Holiday Lights Fair.

Commissioner Rex Duncan reflected on the weekend death of Bette Barron, a very striking and important part of downtown Du Quoin business community before her retirement.

The council voted to move its December meeting from Dec. 26 to Dec. 20.