July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Raises in pay OK'd (6/8/04)
Council OK's hikes for Portland employees
The Portland City Council unanimously approved on the second vote a 4 percent pay raise for appointed officers and city employees.
The increase will set the salary of the street and park department superintendent, the fire chief, the police chief, the water department superintendent and the wastewater treatment superintendent all at $37,039. In the previous year, only Portland police and fire chiefs and the wastewater treatment plant and water department superintendents had the same salary. They were paid $35,614 per year.
Last year, the street and park department superintendent made $33,304 plus $4,861 for park department duties in April to October. The superintendent will no longer be paid for or be responsible for park duties. The assistant park superintendent will be paid $15.75 per hour for all work on the city parks.
At the May 17 meeting, a motion to increase the salary of the mayor and the city clerk treasurer by 6.5 percent also was approved on first reading. The increase cannot be passed until it is voted on a second time.
Also Monday, the council voted unanimously to approve ordinance 2004-10, which increases the speed limits on Industrial Park Drive, Morton Street and county road 100 North.
The speed limits on Industrial Park Drive from Franklin Street to Ind. 67 and Morton Street from East Votaw Street to county road 100 North will increase from 30 mph to 40 mph. The speed limit on county road 100 North from U.S. 27 to the Portland city limits will increase to 45 mph from 30 mph.
Portland Police Chief Bob Sours said street superintendent Jeff Harker has already picked up the new signs.
The higher speed limits will take effect as quickly as the street department can take down the old signs and put the new ones up, Mayor Bruce Hosier said.
In other business, a request by a member of the Jay County Landlords Association to amend the water deposit policy was not approved.
Paul Copeland wanted either the amount required for the water meter deposit to increase or for landlords not to bear the responsibility of paying water bills for renters who fail to pay.
“Any loss that I have hurts,” he said.
City council president Glen Bryant said the rules and regulations for the City of Portland water and wastewater utilities were last changed in October 2000, when the deposit for renters was increased to $75 from $50.
The regulations state, “The owner of the address is secondarily responsible for all unpaid charges and must pay such charges to re-establish service for that address. If the city later collects the unpaid charges from the customer, the city will reimburse the owner of that address if the owner has paid the city for charges.”
Bryant asked Copeland if he thought raising the water deposit from $75 to $100 would help. Copeland said it would.
Councilman Bill Gibson made a motion to increase the amount required for a water deposit to $100. It died for lack of a second.
After the meeting, Gibson said he decided to make the motion because he is a rental property owner and understands how Copeland feels.
“I feel like it’s wrong for someone to have to pay someone else’s bill, regardless,” Gibson said.
“I didn’t see a reason to change it,” Bryant said.
Also Monday, the council recommended a five-year tax abatement request by Jay Products be referred to the Portland Tax Abatement Advisory Committee.
The company is requesting a tax abatement for a new piece of equipment valued at $216,550. The new machine will not lead to an increase in employees or change any salaries.
The council also approved a five-year tax abatement for Qualtech Tool & Engineering. At the May 4 meeting, the council voted to forward the request to the city’s tax abatement advisory committee. The committee found at its May 26 meeting, the new equipment was in compliance. It was valued at $225,000 and will add one job with a salary of $23,000.
The council also unanimously approved abatements granted in previous years. The requests were found to still be in compliance for Accelerated Curing Inc., FCC (Indiana) Inc., Joyce Dayton, Pier-Mac Plastics, Qualtech Tool & Engineering, Portland Forge and W & M Manufacturing, Inc.
Also Monday, the council:
•Approved the claims docket, which is the city’s monthly bills.
•Accepted Jeremy Bullard’s request to withdraw a petition for rezoning a lot at 960 South Boundary Pike.[[In-content Ad]]
The increase will set the salary of the street and park department superintendent, the fire chief, the police chief, the water department superintendent and the wastewater treatment superintendent all at $37,039. In the previous year, only Portland police and fire chiefs and the wastewater treatment plant and water department superintendents had the same salary. They were paid $35,614 per year.
Last year, the street and park department superintendent made $33,304 plus $4,861 for park department duties in April to October. The superintendent will no longer be paid for or be responsible for park duties. The assistant park superintendent will be paid $15.75 per hour for all work on the city parks.
At the May 17 meeting, a motion to increase the salary of the mayor and the city clerk treasurer by 6.5 percent also was approved on first reading. The increase cannot be passed until it is voted on a second time.
Also Monday, the council voted unanimously to approve ordinance 2004-10, which increases the speed limits on Industrial Park Drive, Morton Street and county road 100 North.
The speed limits on Industrial Park Drive from Franklin Street to Ind. 67 and Morton Street from East Votaw Street to county road 100 North will increase from 30 mph to 40 mph. The speed limit on county road 100 North from U.S. 27 to the Portland city limits will increase to 45 mph from 30 mph.
Portland Police Chief Bob Sours said street superintendent Jeff Harker has already picked up the new signs.
The higher speed limits will take effect as quickly as the street department can take down the old signs and put the new ones up, Mayor Bruce Hosier said.
In other business, a request by a member of the Jay County Landlords Association to amend the water deposit policy was not approved.
Paul Copeland wanted either the amount required for the water meter deposit to increase or for landlords not to bear the responsibility of paying water bills for renters who fail to pay.
“Any loss that I have hurts,” he said.
City council president Glen Bryant said the rules and regulations for the City of Portland water and wastewater utilities were last changed in October 2000, when the deposit for renters was increased to $75 from $50.
The regulations state, “The owner of the address is secondarily responsible for all unpaid charges and must pay such charges to re-establish service for that address. If the city later collects the unpaid charges from the customer, the city will reimburse the owner of that address if the owner has paid the city for charges.”
Bryant asked Copeland if he thought raising the water deposit from $75 to $100 would help. Copeland said it would.
Councilman Bill Gibson made a motion to increase the amount required for a water deposit to $100. It died for lack of a second.
After the meeting, Gibson said he decided to make the motion because he is a rental property owner and understands how Copeland feels.
“I feel like it’s wrong for someone to have to pay someone else’s bill, regardless,” Gibson said.
“I didn’t see a reason to change it,” Bryant said.
Also Monday, the council recommended a five-year tax abatement request by Jay Products be referred to the Portland Tax Abatement Advisory Committee.
The company is requesting a tax abatement for a new piece of equipment valued at $216,550. The new machine will not lead to an increase in employees or change any salaries.
The council also approved a five-year tax abatement for Qualtech Tool & Engineering. At the May 4 meeting, the council voted to forward the request to the city’s tax abatement advisory committee. The committee found at its May 26 meeting, the new equipment was in compliance. It was valued at $225,000 and will add one job with a salary of $23,000.
The council also unanimously approved abatements granted in previous years. The requests were found to still be in compliance for Accelerated Curing Inc., FCC (Indiana) Inc., Joyce Dayton, Pier-Mac Plastics, Qualtech Tool & Engineering, Portland Forge and W & M Manufacturing, Inc.
Also Monday, the council:
•Approved the claims docket, which is the city’s monthly bills.
•Accepted Jeremy Bullard’s request to withdraw a petition for rezoning a lot at 960 South Boundary Pike.[[In-content Ad]]
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