February 28, 2024 / By mobanmarket
ELMHURST, IL – Paul Burris is Elmhurst’s utility operations manager, making more than $160,000 a year.
He also owns a side business, OTM Environmental, which helps government entities with their water systems.
Over the last few months, Patch has looked into Burris’ handling of his business as it relates to his city work.
Hired in 2016, Burris has repeatedly emailed his clients during regular work hours, although he said he does so during breaks. He uses his business email address, not Elmhurst’s.
In his messages to clients, Burris agreed to meetings on days he was listed as either sick or working for the city.
At least once, Burris used a piece of city equipment at a client’s facility.
Tom Tapella, a superintendent in the utilities department, has worked for Burris in the side business, records show.
This story is being published as the city is set to increase water and sewer rates by nearly 30 percent next month.
Last week, Patch presented the city with its information. In response, the city said it started a review
Both employees have disclosed their side work, according to the city.
“The information you have presented is currently under review,” city spokeswoman Kassondra Schref told Patch in an email. “While we understand the public interest in this matter, we want to emphasize that it is our policy not to comment on active employee reviews. We are committed to conducting a thorough and fair assessment, as we prioritize the well-being and integrity of our employees while upholding the values and standards set by our organization.”
Burris provided a statement to Patch. He said he is a salaried employee expected to work 40 hours. His normal shift is 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., he said.
As a salaried employee, he noted, he receives no overtime or compensatory time off for exceeding 40 hours.
“There are times that I come in early, stay late, take longer lunch breaks and take personal time off, all while assuming the duties of the position I hold with the City of Elmhurst are Priority one and are completed in a timely and efficient and effective manner,” Burris said.
All employees, he said, are allowed to have secondary jobs. He said his business is part-time work for him.
He said he is allowed and does take half-hour unpaid breaks to handle personal items. As an exempt employee, he may at times take a longer lunch because this time is unpaid and “I have the right to work or talk to anyone else I please at these times.”
Burris also said he sometimes takes his half-hour break in smaller parts because he does not always eat lunch due to Elmhurst priorities and deadlines.
Given Burris’ salaried status, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact times that he is working for the city. His known clients are Bartlett, Elwood, Manhattan and Waubonsee Community College, though he is believed to have others.
Tapella, the other city employee involved in OTM, did not return a message for comment.
Through public records from Burris’ government clients, Patch conducted a spot check of Burris’ emails to clients during his regular hours. Those emails were compared to Elmhurst documents showing which days Burris worked.
In the spot check, Patch found more than 30 instances from 2016 to 2023 when he emailed clients during regular hours. Many of the cases were in the first hours of his basic workday. That is when an employee is less likely to take a break.
In one instance, Burris told Waubonsee Community College that he had “just got off the phone” with one of its employees. That phone conversation would have been during regular working hours.
In another message, Burris told Waubonsee he would attend a pizza party at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 16, 2021. Elmhurst records showed he took sick leave on the day of the party.
In yet another case, Burris informed the college that he would meet at 10 a.m. Nov. 10, 2022. According to Elmhurst records, Burris did not have the day off.
In September 2021, Burris agreed to a 10 a.m. OTM meeting in Bartlett. Elmhurst did not list him as off on the day in question, which was Sept. 24, 2021.
In agreeing to that meeting, Burris told a Bartlett official, “I will bring access to Elmhurst leak detection so we talk about that too.”
Patch asked Burris about the type of Elmhurst equipment he was using for his private business.
In an email, he said the city had a leak detection system “demo device” that had been shown to many organizations. He described it as “non-working.”
He said Elmhurst owns the system and that OTM has never claimed any right to it. In this case, he said, a Bartlett public works official asked about the device.
“I offered to show it to him since I was already schedule(d) to meet with him during one of my lunch periods (knowing I had an extra-long day ahead of me),” Burris said. “(The device) helps others to understand how the system works when you explain it to them.”
He said he used his break time for the meeting and travel. That day, he said he started work at 6 a.m. to cover for an employee who was off. He said he had to prepare a morning staff meeting and left at 4:30 p.m.
Burris also said he worked 50 hours the week in question and that he worked the weekend before and stayed late.
He said OTM has never used any city tools or other equipment.
As for OTM’s employees, Burris said he is the only one. The others are independent contractors. Asked which other employees in the city government are connected to the business, Burris declined to say.
“I do not find it appropriate to discuss any other person other than me working for OTM,” Burris said.
He also declined to reveal whether his business has other government clients.
OTM has never done work for Elmhurst, he said.
In 2016, Burris was hired at a salary of $120,000, according to city records. His pay is now $162,822, a 35 percent increase in eight years.
Over the last few years, Burris has taken off time with a mix of vacation, sick leave and personal days.
In 2023, Burris took the equivalent of five weeks of the various forms of leave. In 2021 and 2022, his time off amounted to about 6½ weeks each year.
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