July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Geneva council OKs 3 percent raises
GENEVA — A 3 percent salary raise for town employees was approved Tuesday by the council here.
Council members approved the first reading of the town’s ordinance increasing the salaries for town clerk-treasurer, department heads, town manager, town councilmen, a part-time deputy clerk treasurer and a part-time clerical employee of the water and sewer utilities.
If approved the increase will bring the salaries of the street and wastewater superintendents to $31,512 a year and the clerk-treasurer to $15,899.52 a year. The part-time deputy clerk-treasurer and the clerical employee will receive $10.92 an hour based on a 33-hour work week. Street and utility department laborers will earn $20,384 a year, council members will earn $1,813.80 a year, while the council president will receive $2,048.52 a year.
Council members plan to set a special meeting before their August meeting to discuss if the street and wastewater superintendents will be paid salary or hourly wages. Currently, these department heads are paid an hourly wage.
The council will vote on this salary ordinance two more times.
In other business Tuesday, council members accepted a $10,217.82 check from Clark Dietz Inc. of Indianapolis for reimbursement of costs to correct the miscalculation on the equipment needed to handle the amount of flow at the town’s wastewater treatment plant in the approximately $46,000 disinfecting project.
Council members and Clark Dietz official John Dufek previously discussed this issue in executive session on April 27.
The town formerly used chlorine to kill the bacteria in the water, then treated the water with another chemical to neutralize the chlorine. The plant now uses ultraviolet light to kill the bacteria instead of chemicals, town manager Steve Hampshire previously said.
Also Tuesday, council members:
•Discussed three quotes submitted for a hanging sign for outside the G.W. Pyle Building. This building, located at 411 E. Line St., contains the town hall, community center and police department.
The council decided to allow council president Jim Timmons to work with town clerk-treasurer Doug Milligan to choose a sign. Each of the three sign makers included the price of a simple sign design and a more costly, more elaborate design.
Quotes from Baumbauer Signs of Geneva totaled $475 and $525. Quotes from Display Craft in Portland were $500 and $700, and totals from Hilty Signs of Geneva were $1,380 and $1,855.
•Tabled voting on the third and final reading of the town’s sewer use ordinance.
Town attorney Chris Harvey said Indiana Department of Environmental Management officials wanted to OK the ordinance before it is approved by town officials.
•Heard Milligan report that health insurance costs for town employees increased approximately 17 percent as of July 1.
The town is now paying $3,621 a month for seven employees, including the town manager, street, water and wastewater employees and the town’s utility clerk.
The town was paying $3,454 a month for eight employees.
Last year, health insurance costs increased 29 percent.
•Heard Hampshire report that LPI of Portland submitted a $9,343 quote to remove and replace existing asphalt in an alley between East Line and Shackley streets.
The project was not voted on Tuesday.
•Approved a 5 percent increase for 2005 fire protection contracts with three townships in Adams County and one township in Jay County.
Fees for Hartford Township now total $3,826, Jefferson Township will pay $3,417, Wabash Township in Adams County will pay $6,423. Wabash Township in Jay County will pay $3,127.
•Approved a resolution to have state tax revenue funds from the Indiana State Auditor’s office electronically transferred into the town’s account.
“It is completely safe and will get the money to us a few days faster,” Milligan said.
•Voted to hire CLS Construction of Geneva to patch 12 areas of asphalt for $3,880.
•Heard town marshal Rob Johnson ask residents to keep their dogs from running loose in the town.
“We’ve picked up six just in the last week,” Johnson said, adding that the total number of animal complaints received in June totaled eight.
•Announced their next meeting will be held Tuesday, Aug. 3, at 6:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]GENEVA — Town officials here are working on their second try for a $490,000 state grant to help fund a sewer project.
About 35 town officials and residents attended a public hearing Tuesday to discuss the $600,000 project, which will alleviate drainage problems for residents living on Winchester Road in Geneva by adding a new sewer line that will connect with a proposed open drain and an existing storm drain tile.
The town’s first request for the Indiana Department of Commerce grant was denied in early June, town clerk treasurer Doug Milligan said Tuesday, adding DOC officials said most of the applications chosen for funding that round had previously applied at least twice before they were funded.
Milligan, Councilman Mike Schwartz and town manager Steve Hampshire recently met with two DOC officials who offered advice for the next grant round, which ends on Friday, Sept. 3.
“They feel our project is worthwhile and wanted to help us,” Milligan said, adding the group also toured the area slated for the project.
Jerry Bridges, an independent grant administrator from Anderson who is working on the grant application, said DOC officials suggested the town needed to fine tune its application and collect more letters from residents who are in favor of the project.
Schwartz added DOC officials requested that residents hand write letters instead of typing them.
He also requested that Bridges submit the town’s application to the council for review before it is submitted to the DOC. The council didn’t see the application submitted for the first grant round.
The project is slated to begin at the intersection of Winchester Road and Spring Street and travel south on Winchester Road. The sewer line then will travel west on Harrison Street to Richfield Lane. The sewer line then will curve southwest on Richfield Lane, travel around Brenda Stump’s property, located at 206 Richfield Lane, and continue south under West Line Street, where it will connect with a proposed open drain and an existing storm drain tile.
Most of the residents attending Tuesday’s hearing were in favor of the project, including Elanor Morris, 310 Spring St., who said “We’re just tired of the water ... water in our crawl space, and in heavy rains it comes into our garage.”
Council members approved the first reading of the town’s ordinance increasing the salaries for town clerk-treasurer, department heads, town manager, town councilmen, a part-time deputy clerk treasurer and a part-time clerical employee of the water and sewer utilities.
If approved the increase will bring the salaries of the street and wastewater superintendents to $31,512 a year and the clerk-treasurer to $15,899.52 a year. The part-time deputy clerk-treasurer and the clerical employee will receive $10.92 an hour based on a 33-hour work week. Street and utility department laborers will earn $20,384 a year, council members will earn $1,813.80 a year, while the council president will receive $2,048.52 a year.
Council members plan to set a special meeting before their August meeting to discuss if the street and wastewater superintendents will be paid salary or hourly wages. Currently, these department heads are paid an hourly wage.
The council will vote on this salary ordinance two more times.
In other business Tuesday, council members accepted a $10,217.82 check from Clark Dietz Inc. of Indianapolis for reimbursement of costs to correct the miscalculation on the equipment needed to handle the amount of flow at the town’s wastewater treatment plant in the approximately $46,000 disinfecting project.
Council members and Clark Dietz official John Dufek previously discussed this issue in executive session on April 27.
The town formerly used chlorine to kill the bacteria in the water, then treated the water with another chemical to neutralize the chlorine. The plant now uses ultraviolet light to kill the bacteria instead of chemicals, town manager Steve Hampshire previously said.
Also Tuesday, council members:
•Discussed three quotes submitted for a hanging sign for outside the G.W. Pyle Building. This building, located at 411 E. Line St., contains the town hall, community center and police department.
The council decided to allow council president Jim Timmons to work with town clerk-treasurer Doug Milligan to choose a sign. Each of the three sign makers included the price of a simple sign design and a more costly, more elaborate design.
Quotes from Baumbauer Signs of Geneva totaled $475 and $525. Quotes from Display Craft in Portland were $500 and $700, and totals from Hilty Signs of Geneva were $1,380 and $1,855.
•Tabled voting on the third and final reading of the town’s sewer use ordinance.
Town attorney Chris Harvey said Indiana Department of Environmental Management officials wanted to OK the ordinance before it is approved by town officials.
•Heard Milligan report that health insurance costs for town employees increased approximately 17 percent as of July 1.
The town is now paying $3,621 a month for seven employees, including the town manager, street, water and wastewater employees and the town’s utility clerk.
The town was paying $3,454 a month for eight employees.
Last year, health insurance costs increased 29 percent.
•Heard Hampshire report that LPI of Portland submitted a $9,343 quote to remove and replace existing asphalt in an alley between East Line and Shackley streets.
The project was not voted on Tuesday.
•Approved a 5 percent increase for 2005 fire protection contracts with three townships in Adams County and one township in Jay County.
Fees for Hartford Township now total $3,826, Jefferson Township will pay $3,417, Wabash Township in Adams County will pay $6,423. Wabash Township in Jay County will pay $3,127.
•Approved a resolution to have state tax revenue funds from the Indiana State Auditor’s office electronically transferred into the town’s account.
“It is completely safe and will get the money to us a few days faster,” Milligan said.
•Voted to hire CLS Construction of Geneva to patch 12 areas of asphalt for $3,880.
•Heard town marshal Rob Johnson ask residents to keep their dogs from running loose in the town.
“We’ve picked up six just in the last week,” Johnson said, adding that the total number of animal complaints received in June totaled eight.
•Announced their next meeting will be held Tuesday, Aug. 3, at 6:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]GENEVA — Town officials here are working on their second try for a $490,000 state grant to help fund a sewer project.
About 35 town officials and residents attended a public hearing Tuesday to discuss the $600,000 project, which will alleviate drainage problems for residents living on Winchester Road in Geneva by adding a new sewer line that will connect with a proposed open drain and an existing storm drain tile.
The town’s first request for the Indiana Department of Commerce grant was denied in early June, town clerk treasurer Doug Milligan said Tuesday, adding DOC officials said most of the applications chosen for funding that round had previously applied at least twice before they were funded.
Milligan, Councilman Mike Schwartz and town manager Steve Hampshire recently met with two DOC officials who offered advice for the next grant round, which ends on Friday, Sept. 3.
“They feel our project is worthwhile and wanted to help us,” Milligan said, adding the group also toured the area slated for the project.
Jerry Bridges, an independent grant administrator from Anderson who is working on the grant application, said DOC officials suggested the town needed to fine tune its application and collect more letters from residents who are in favor of the project.
Schwartz added DOC officials requested that residents hand write letters instead of typing them.
He also requested that Bridges submit the town’s application to the council for review before it is submitted to the DOC. The council didn’t see the application submitted for the first grant round.
The project is slated to begin at the intersection of Winchester Road and Spring Street and travel south on Winchester Road. The sewer line then will travel west on Harrison Street to Richfield Lane. The sewer line then will curve southwest on Richfield Lane, travel around Brenda Stump’s property, located at 206 Richfield Lane, and continue south under West Line Street, where it will connect with a proposed open drain and an existing storm drain tile.
Most of the residents attending Tuesday’s hearing were in favor of the project, including Elanor Morris, 310 Spring St., who said “We’re just tired of the water ... water in our crawl space, and in heavy rains it comes into our garage.”
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