Council gives OK to raises

Former county engineer Dan Watson resigned at the end of 2020.

Jay County highway superintendent Donnie Corn has taken over Watson’s former responsibilities, and road foreman David Shepherd is helping pick up the slack.

Both will be receiving raises after Jay County Council approved a recommendation from the personnel committee Wednesday.

Council member Jeanne Houchins said the personnel committee reviewed the new job responsibilities at a meeting Monday. The committee looked at surrounding counties without engineers and the wages for similar positions to those held by Corn and Shepherd. Blackford County’s highway superintendent makes near $58,000, and its road foreman makes about $44,000, she said. (That is about $4,500 more than Corn made and $4,000 more than Shepherd made previously.) Blackford County also outsources to an engineering for items such as Community Crossing grants, Indiana Department of Transportation reports and vouchers, and bridge work.

Corn will take over the engineer’s job alongside his work, and Shepherd will take over some of Corn’s superintendent duties. The personnel committee decided it would be best to give both employees incentive for taking on new job duties.

“I believe in rewarding our employees,” Houchins said.

Corn will receive about a $7,500 raise and Shepherd about a $4,000 raise (or $2 more per hour).

“Are you looking at getting a county engineer in the future?” asked council member Ray Newton, who along with Matt Minnich, started his first term on council this month. They take over the seats previously held by Cindy Newton, Ray’s wife, and Gary Theurer.

Houchins asked commissioner Chad Aker, who was in attendance, if that position was eliminated. He said for now the county won’t be filling the position and will instead be dividing its responsibilities between the two road officials.

Newton questioned what the council should do if the new agreement doesn’t work out and the county needs to hire a new engineer.

County auditor Anna Culy suggested creating a “dormant” county engineer position with the job description unchanged, which would make it easier to shift back if the new arrangement does not work out. She said she would need to check to see if that’s possible to do.

Houchins said both Corn and Shepherd will keep a log of their work and have an evaluation at a later date.

Council approved the pay raises unanimously.

Also Monday, council approved an amendment to the integration agreement between Jay County Hospital and Indiana University Health to transfer about $1.25 million in funds set aside for capital improvements to The Portland Foundation. IU Health Jay board president Dave Littler announced during a commissioner's meeting Dec. 28 that the board settled on an estimated $3.75 million in capital improvement projects to be completed in 2021. (Commissioners approved the amendment as well.)

In other business, council:

•Appropriated the following: about $10,450 for the Local Emergency Planning Committee; about $8,000 for the Cornerstones location in Richland township; about $3,570 for the Jay County Sheriff’s Office for equipment; and about $73,405 for a six-month Community Corrections grant.

•Approved nearly $25,276 in encumbrances for a bioterrorism health grant (about $21,000), the health department and the Community Corrections grant.

•Appointed Liz Lawson to Jay County Public Library Board.