Sheriff seeks staff changes (05/08/07)

As Jay County budget sessions approach, sheriff Ray Newton is asking commissioners to give a favorable nod to some of his requests.

Newton explained Monday afternoon to commissioners Milo Miller Jr., Gary Theurer, and Faron Parr, that the workload has increased within the security center's administrative offices.

Currently Gloria May and Zoe Hill, whose offices are located on the third floor of the courthouse, are paid for a 35-hour work week and Hill told commissioners she would like to see those hours increased to 40.

"They have more stuff they have to oversee," Newton said.

"Now gun permits take longer (to complete paperwork), sheriff sales have increased. My job has increased, but the hours haven't," Hill explained.

"Things have changed," Newton added.

Commissioners approved Newton's request to ask the Jay County Council for additional pay to increase the administrative hours in 2008.

Jonna Reece of Reece Consulting, Muncie, will be meeting with county council members Wednesday to discuss what is needed as the council prepares to head into budget hearings in June.

"The commissioners have to put their blessing on it," Theurer said when approving the additional hours.

Newton also explained he would like to see the position of deputy sergeant returned to the ranks in the sheriff's department.

"We need to have that person there," he explained. "We need more rank in the deputies to make sure they're doing their job when we're not around."

He explained that there would be no additional employees, but someone among the seven deputies would be promoted to that position, providing the department with six deputies and the sergeant.

He also added that he would like to see the drug task investigator be the department's investigator as well.

"These are all very important positions we need to have," he said.

"I trust your decisions on what you're trying to do," Miller told Newton.

Since taking office in January, Newton has been struggling with maintenance as well as overcrowded administrative issues at the jail.

Commissioners have been seriously considering an expansion at the site on West Water Street and are currently awaiting recommendations from Paul Downing, a criminal justice planner with DLZ, Indianapolis.

Those expansions options have included using a building on West Main Street, just north of the jail that commissioners purchased a few years ago, as well as the purchase of a residence on the northeast corner near the entrance of the jail campus.

Additionally Monday commissioners learned that John Murrell, owner of Brooks Creek Whitetails Inc., rural Dunkirk, has asked the county to compensate him for about $33,000 for domestic deer that were killed at his farm.

In a written report to commissioners, Murrell said that a stray dog attack occurred April 25, on his farm and two pregnant deer with a total of three fawns were killed, all with values ranging from $4,000 to $15,000.

He noted that three other does were badly injured and could die from those injuries.

Commissioners discussed the situation at length, noting that township trustees no longer collect dog tax which would be used for such incidents. A few years ago the state relegated that decision to county officials, however local county officials decided to not collect that tax.

Murrell's request will be referred to the county's liability insurance company for consideration.

Also Monday, commissioners approved a request from Ralph Frazee, director of the county's emergency management, to receive "official use only" e-mails.

Frazee explained that those correspondences sometimes include sensitive information about how some situations are handled.

"There's no cost for this," Frazee said. "I just had to have my immediate supervisor's permission."

Commissioners also learned Monday that Sharon Ross has resigned from the Penn Township Public Library and approved the appointment of Tammy Hanlin-Ashley to fill that position. Her term will expire Feb. 2, 2009.[[In-content Ad]]