Council OK's cut in pay (01/03/07)

The first request of 2007 - for a reduction in pay - may have been the easiest that members of the Portland City Council will consider.

Council members wasted no time Tuesday in approving a reduction in the amount paid to Dave Houck, a county health department official who is contracted to serve as the city sanitarian.

The reduction came at the request of Houck, who said that the hiring in May of code enforcement officer Shane Mann has "really took a big load off me."

Houck, who was scheduled to be paid between $7,200 and $7,300 in 2007, will instead be paid $2,500. He also draws a salary of more than $35,000 as the environmentalist/administrator for the Jay County Health Department.

Mann, who works 24 to 30 hours per week, is paid $10 per hour and does not receive fringe benefits such as health insurance.

Mann is charged with enforcing a variety of city codes, including those relating to trash, junk and abandoned vehicles.

"We appreciate all the years of service to the city of Portland," Mayor Bruce Hosier said to Houck at Tuesday's council meeting.

Councilman Glen Bryant concurred. "I want to commend you for coming forward on this," Bryant said.

The amendment to the 2007 salary ordinance was adopted on second reading after council members Dolphus Stephens, Jerry Leonhard, Jim Sanders, Judy Aker, Bill Gibson, Kip Robinette and Bryant voted to suspend rules and approved the ordinance unanimously.

Also Tuesday, Aker was elected president of the council. She replaces Bryant, who was also nominated but who cast the deciding vote in Aker's favor as she won the position by a 4-3 margin.

Sanders and Leonhard also voted for Aker, who also cast a vote for herself.

Stephens, Gibson and Robinette voted for Bryant as council president.

Also Tuesday, Hosier noted the death Monday of Ray Miller, the husband of former city clerk-treasurer Betty Miller and father of current Portland City Court Judge Mickey Pensinger.

"He was an excellent ambassador for the city of Portland," Hosier said of Miller, who began coaching the Portland Rockets baseball team in 1973 in addition to work in insurance and real estate.

At Bryant's urging, the council plans to consider a resolution at its next meeting Jan. 15 noting Miller's contributions to the community.[[In-content Ad]]