July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Pay bumps given OK (12/13/07)
Jay County Council
By By MIKE SNYDER-
Two members of the judiciary believe the recently-hired director of the Jay County Community Corrections program deserves more than the stated starting pay for the position.
Members of the Jay County Council agreed.
The council, which has at times been reluctant to make exceptions to the county pay plan, made several Wednesday - retroactively granting a jump in starting pay for Yvette Weiland, who began work as director of community corrections Nov. 19.
Members of the council also allowed an increase in starting wages for a highly-qualified applicant Weiland wishes to hire as a field officer.
The action by the council gives Weiland an annual salary of $28,516.80 (up from a minimum at pay grade 12 of $26,769), while the applicant for the other position in the department will earn $27,310.40 (up from a minimum of approximately $23,000).
The request regarding salaries was made by Jay Circuit Court Judge Brian Hutchison, and Jay Superior Court Judge Joel Roberts.
"We believe given (Weiland's) qualifications, it's a fair salary," Hutchison said, representing the county's community corrections board.
Weiland completed a bachelor's degree in criminal justice last month, and members of the community corrections board recently added a requirement for a college education to be eligible for the position.
Weiland, who has worked for community corrections since February, also serves as a reserve officer with the Portland Police Department.
Before the vote, Councilman Gerald Kirby expressed reservations about making exceptions to the pay plan.
"I'm a little reluctant to make these changes willy-nilly," Kirby said.
But fellow council member Jim Zimmerman said to Kirby, "That's why we sit here ... to make these decisions."
The hourly rate for the director will be $13.30 and $13.13 for the field officer.
Also Wednesday, members of the council agreed to take a more active role in the handling of county economic development income tax (EDIT) funds than in the past.
Much of the record-keeping since the adoption of the EDIT tax was done by Jay County Development Corporation under late executive director Bob Quadrozzi.
Members of the council agreed, by consensus, to handle appropriations to EDIT budgets of the six communities in Jay County and requested regular status reports on EDIT funds from incoming auditor/council secretary Nancy Culy.
Also Wednesday, the council gave its OK to $7,500 in additional appropriations to the Jay County Sheriff's Department's K-9 fund.
The department has been without a dog for about a year. The former K-9 was retired as of Jan. 1, and was put to sleep in March.
The purchase of a dog and training will cost $8,500, Sheriff Ray Newton said Wednesday. The department has received a pledge for a donation of $1,000 towards the cost of acquiring a new K-9.
The appropriations were made from the VIN checks fund ($3,850), the county forfeiture fund ($2,000) and the sheriff's drug-free fund ($1,650).
Another additional appropriation approved by council members Marilyn Coleman, Fred Bailey, Mike Leonhard, Judy LeMaster, George Meehan, Kirby and Zimmerman was for $17,901 from a homeland security grant fund into a computer equipment line item.
The money will be used to purchase 17 laptop computers for use by various emergency personnel around the county.
In other business Wednesday, members of the council:
•Denied a request for a $5,000 transfer request by the Jay County Highway Department because superintendent Ken Wellman did not appear in person to discuss the request.
Wellman was requesting that the money be moved to a heavy equipment operators line item from a general labor account. The heavy equipment operator line item was used to pay for extra help for snow removal in March.
A motion to approve the transfer was defeated by a 2-4 margin.
•Approved the following transfers: Assessor - $1,200 to clerical from second deputy to pay part-time help needed because a deputy is off work; community corrections - $500 to PERF from home detention officer; Jay County Jail/911 - $450 to PERF from charges from phone company.
•Heard Coleman report that Jay County Assessor Anita Mills is still working with a private assessment firm to resubmit data to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance regarding the most recent reassessment.
The county faces a Dec. 31 deadline to resubmit the data.
•Were told by Kirby and Commissioner Milo Miller Jr. that a request for another loan to the Jay County Regional Sewage District may be made sometime in 2008. The district was formed in response to problems with failing septic systems southwest of Portland.
The district plans to connect the Foxfire addition and surrounding homes to Portland's sewer system by extending a line built to the POET Biorefining plant.
Engineering costs alone for the initial project are expected to reach $47,000.[[In-content Ad]]Two county officials say that work continues on plans for an expansion/renovation project for the Jay County Jail.
Commissioner Milo Miller Jr. and Sheriff Ray Newton gave members of the Jay County Council an update on jail plans Wednesday, but said that no firm cost estimates or plans to pay for the work are available.
Miller, who has become convinced of the need for major jail work over the past few years, said, "hopefully we can get it done within the tax rate we already have."
See Jail page 10
Continued from page 1
Although no final decisions have been made, the commissioners and Newton have discussed building a 100-plus bed addition north of the current jail, on county-owned property which was the former site of several car dealerships.
Miller told council members Wednesday that he believes the commissioners will take bids this spring to raze what he called the Maitlen building at the southeast corner of West Main and Ship Streets in Portland.
Councilman Jim Zimmerman told Newton and Miller that he would like to see estimates of possible additional costs and revenue in connection with a jail expansion.
Newton has pointed out that the Indiana Department of Corrections pays $35 per day for county jails to house state inmates.
Estimates from engineering firms say that the county would have to hire at least four additional jail employees for an expanded facility.
Newton also told council members Wednesday about ongoing problems with cell doors in the current jail.
Several thousand dollars have been spent repairing the doors, and Newton said that if a failure occurs while the doors are closed, inmates could be trapped.
Councilman Gerald Kirby, a former Jay County Sheriff, said, "There's no reason for leaving (the damaged cell doors) there if it's a safety issue."
"We're going to have to do something about it," Newton said.
Council president Marilyn Coleman asked for volunteers from the council to work with the commissioners and Newton on the fact-finding portion of the jail expansion effort.
Another former sheriff, George Meehan, volunteered along with Kirby.
Members of the Jay County Council agreed.
The council, which has at times been reluctant to make exceptions to the county pay plan, made several Wednesday - retroactively granting a jump in starting pay for Yvette Weiland, who began work as director of community corrections Nov. 19.
Members of the council also allowed an increase in starting wages for a highly-qualified applicant Weiland wishes to hire as a field officer.
The action by the council gives Weiland an annual salary of $28,516.80 (up from a minimum at pay grade 12 of $26,769), while the applicant for the other position in the department will earn $27,310.40 (up from a minimum of approximately $23,000).
The request regarding salaries was made by Jay Circuit Court Judge Brian Hutchison, and Jay Superior Court Judge Joel Roberts.
"We believe given (Weiland's) qualifications, it's a fair salary," Hutchison said, representing the county's community corrections board.
Weiland completed a bachelor's degree in criminal justice last month, and members of the community corrections board recently added a requirement for a college education to be eligible for the position.
Weiland, who has worked for community corrections since February, also serves as a reserve officer with the Portland Police Department.
Before the vote, Councilman Gerald Kirby expressed reservations about making exceptions to the pay plan.
"I'm a little reluctant to make these changes willy-nilly," Kirby said.
But fellow council member Jim Zimmerman said to Kirby, "That's why we sit here ... to make these decisions."
The hourly rate for the director will be $13.30 and $13.13 for the field officer.
Also Wednesday, members of the council agreed to take a more active role in the handling of county economic development income tax (EDIT) funds than in the past.
Much of the record-keeping since the adoption of the EDIT tax was done by Jay County Development Corporation under late executive director Bob Quadrozzi.
Members of the council agreed, by consensus, to handle appropriations to EDIT budgets of the six communities in Jay County and requested regular status reports on EDIT funds from incoming auditor/council secretary Nancy Culy.
Also Wednesday, the council gave its OK to $7,500 in additional appropriations to the Jay County Sheriff's Department's K-9 fund.
The department has been without a dog for about a year. The former K-9 was retired as of Jan. 1, and was put to sleep in March.
The purchase of a dog and training will cost $8,500, Sheriff Ray Newton said Wednesday. The department has received a pledge for a donation of $1,000 towards the cost of acquiring a new K-9.
The appropriations were made from the VIN checks fund ($3,850), the county forfeiture fund ($2,000) and the sheriff's drug-free fund ($1,650).
Another additional appropriation approved by council members Marilyn Coleman, Fred Bailey, Mike Leonhard, Judy LeMaster, George Meehan, Kirby and Zimmerman was for $17,901 from a homeland security grant fund into a computer equipment line item.
The money will be used to purchase 17 laptop computers for use by various emergency personnel around the county.
In other business Wednesday, members of the council:
•Denied a request for a $5,000 transfer request by the Jay County Highway Department because superintendent Ken Wellman did not appear in person to discuss the request.
Wellman was requesting that the money be moved to a heavy equipment operators line item from a general labor account. The heavy equipment operator line item was used to pay for extra help for snow removal in March.
A motion to approve the transfer was defeated by a 2-4 margin.
•Approved the following transfers: Assessor - $1,200 to clerical from second deputy to pay part-time help needed because a deputy is off work; community corrections - $500 to PERF from home detention officer; Jay County Jail/911 - $450 to PERF from charges from phone company.
•Heard Coleman report that Jay County Assessor Anita Mills is still working with a private assessment firm to resubmit data to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance regarding the most recent reassessment.
The county faces a Dec. 31 deadline to resubmit the data.
•Were told by Kirby and Commissioner Milo Miller Jr. that a request for another loan to the Jay County Regional Sewage District may be made sometime in 2008. The district was formed in response to problems with failing septic systems southwest of Portland.
The district plans to connect the Foxfire addition and surrounding homes to Portland's sewer system by extending a line built to the POET Biorefining plant.
Engineering costs alone for the initial project are expected to reach $47,000.[[In-content Ad]]Two county officials say that work continues on plans for an expansion/renovation project for the Jay County Jail.
Commissioner Milo Miller Jr. and Sheriff Ray Newton gave members of the Jay County Council an update on jail plans Wednesday, but said that no firm cost estimates or plans to pay for the work are available.
Miller, who has become convinced of the need for major jail work over the past few years, said, "hopefully we can get it done within the tax rate we already have."
See Jail page 10
Continued from page 1
Although no final decisions have been made, the commissioners and Newton have discussed building a 100-plus bed addition north of the current jail, on county-owned property which was the former site of several car dealerships.
Miller told council members Wednesday that he believes the commissioners will take bids this spring to raze what he called the Maitlen building at the southeast corner of West Main and Ship Streets in Portland.
Councilman Jim Zimmerman told Newton and Miller that he would like to see estimates of possible additional costs and revenue in connection with a jail expansion.
Newton has pointed out that the Indiana Department of Corrections pays $35 per day for county jails to house state inmates.
Estimates from engineering firms say that the county would have to hire at least four additional jail employees for an expanded facility.
Newton also told council members Wednesday about ongoing problems with cell doors in the current jail.
Several thousand dollars have been spent repairing the doors, and Newton said that if a failure occurs while the doors are closed, inmates could be trapped.
Councilman Gerald Kirby, a former Jay County Sheriff, said, "There's no reason for leaving (the damaged cell doors) there if it's a safety issue."
"We're going to have to do something about it," Newton said.
Council president Marilyn Coleman asked for volunteers from the council to work with the commissioners and Newton on the fact-finding portion of the jail expansion effort.
Another former sheriff, George Meehan, volunteered along with Kirby.
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