The Marshall County Council approved adding a line item in this year’s budget for professional services. Specifically, the line item will cover the hourly wages for work done by Waggoner, Irwin and Scheele to update the county employee job descriptions and wages.
Marshall County Council Approves Highway, Sheriff Appropriation Requests
The Marshall County Council fielded several requests for additional appropriations during their regular meeting on Monday.
The highway department submitted a request for $300,000 for bituminous for the continuation of paving operations through the rest of the year. The highway department also asked for $112,000 for vehicle maintenance. That money is to re-appropriate the fuel charges from departments and outside entities coming back into the county.
Marshall County Council Approves Ordinances on 2018 Budgets
Marshall County Council members took action Monday morning to move the budget to the state for approval.
Before the council approved the 2018 budget, Councilwoman Penny Lukenbill brought the Superior Court II budget into discussion. The council had reduced Judge Dean Colvin’s initial request for full-time law clerks in the amount of $75,000 to just a part-time law clerk line item at $45,000.
Marshall County Council Approves Additional Appropriation for Fire System
The Marshall County Council members approved a request for an additional appropriation for a fire suppression system at the Marshall County Museum.
Commissioner Kurt Garner explained that the commissioners approved a quote in September from the NoBi Corporation out of Elkhart in the amount of $5,935. Since the commissioners felt it was an immediate need, they agreed to allow the expenditure to be taken out of the building and grounds maintenance fund. Garner and Museum Archive Manager Karin Rettinger were before the council to ask for an additional appropriation to reimburse the county and for a building project.
Marshall County Council to Meet Today
The Marshall County Council will meet this morning where they will approve readings on ordinances that pertain to the 2018 budgets for Marshall County, the Argos Community School Corporation, and the Marshall County Solid Waste District. The Marshall County 2018 salary ordinance and the Marshall County Community Corrections 2018 salary ordinance are also on the agenda for readings.
Consultant on Job Descriptions, Wages Discusses Information with Council
The Marshall County Council received information from a consultant on job descriptions and wages.
Kent Irwin explained how he and his colleagues at Waggoner, Irwin and Scheele prepare the job descriptions and determine wages for recommendations for the county. He is looking to assist the county in updating all of the job descriptions for all positions in the county as a major overhaul has not been done since 1989. Several positions have a different set of duties and those descriptions need to be current.
EMA Director Requests Additional Appropriation
Marshall County EMA Director Clyde Avery asked the county council for an additional appropriation to pay for the contractor who helped with updating the Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Avery explained that the contract is for $16,656.06. The invoice will be paid and Avery said he will submit the necessary paperwork to the Department of Homeland Security for reimbursement. The plan is renewable every five years. Continue reading
Marshall County Probation Department Requests Additional Appropriation
James Bend and James Pheibush of the Marshall County Probation Department requested an additional appropriation in the amount of $50,000 to help sustain the care of juveniles in treatment centers.
Bend said it’s been an extraordinary year in this aspect.
Money Transferred, Requested to Continue with Paving Project
Crews with the Marshall County Highway Department are hoping to do more paving this year. Highway Supervisor Jason Peters was before the county council on Monday with a request for support of an additional appropriation for $300,000.
The additional appropriation has not been published yet so the council could not act on the request.
Marshall County Council Cuts Budget
The Marshall County Council members worked to cut $444,420 from the budget when they met Monday morning.
The total budget to be advertised is just over $25 million for all funds. The General Fund totals $12,798,016. The assessor’s office will have a $12,000 reduction as the members thought the pay increase budgeted was over the three percent recommendation, and a full-time position in the prosecutor’s office was omitted as the request was not before the council. That money was transferred to a part-time line item.
Marshall County Council to Meet Today
The Marshall County Council will meet this morning with a full agenda. The council members will discuss all of the line items in the 2018 budget in a hearing after their regular business meeting.
James Bend and James Pheibush will have a funding request for care of inmate patients while Sheriff Matt Hassel and Annette Osborn from WIC will request a waiver for a 90-day probationary pay. EMA Director Clyde Avery will present an additional request for a mitigation plan update with the EMA Performance Grant and the personnel committee members will discuss updates to several positions. Continue reading
Marshall Co. Commissioners Support Highway Dept. Request for Funds
The Marshall County Highway Department will be asking the county council for some additional funds and money transfers in order to pave more county roads this season.
Highway Supervisor Jason Peters told the county commissioners that he’ll be requesting $550,000 to $600,000 in an additional appropriation before the county council on Monday, Sept. 11. Continue reading
Marshall County Council Discusses Health Educator Position
The Marshall County Council discussed adding full-time position for a health educator/emergency preparedness coordinator when they met this week.
Health Administrator Christine Stinson explained that the person in the department would assist in her department and with Emergency Management Agency Director Clyde Avery. She said a local health maintenance fund grant along with the emergency preparedness grant will help fund this position with the rest coming from the health department’s budget.
Marshall County Council Waives Probationary Pay
Two requests to waive probationary pay for employees were discussed by the Marshall County Council this week.
Community Corrections Director Ward Byers requested waiver for a new case manager who comes to the department with a wealth of experience from Ohio. In addition, the case manager’s pay is based on a federal grant.
Additional Appropriation Discussed for Needs at Shady Rest Home
The Marshall County Council members held a discussion on an additional appropriation request for continued maintenance at the Shady Rest Home.
The Shady Rest Home returned to the county’s care on Aug. 1 after The Bowen Center vacated the property.
Marshall County Council Approves Additional Appropriation for Coroner
Marshall County Coroner John Grolich approached the Marshall County Council Monday morning with additional appropriation requests totaling $28,000 for his department.
Grolich explained that there has been an increase in autopsies performed this year than what is normally budgeted. He added that it’s difficult to predict how many will be done in a year in order to properly budget money. He said many young people have perished in a number of different circumstances and autopsies are commonly ordered in most cases to determine manner and cause of death. Continue reading
Marshall County Council Approves $50,000 Additional Appropriation Request
The Marshall County Council considered an additional appropriation request in the amount of $50,000 to take care of LED lighting upgrade and other repairs at the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department.
According to Gary Masterson from the county maintenance department, all of the lighting has been updated outside of the jail in the parking lot, and more lights are being switched out inside the facility as soon as one goes bad. Additional money is requested in case more issues arise at the jail.
Marshall County Council to Meet Today
The Marshall County Council members will meet today with several items on the agenda.
EMA Director Clyde Avery will present two grant requests while Sheriff Matt Hassel will have a commissary report. The personnel committee members have several changes to different county positions to bring before the council. Marshall County Prosecutor Nelson Chipman and a representative from the community corrections department will separately request waivers for probationary pay for an employee in their offices. The council is also expected to discuss a salary ordinance amendment for the chief probation officer and a position within community corrections.
Shady Rest Home Committee to Meet in August
Marshall County Commissioner Kurt Garner updated the county council on the formation of the Shady Rest Committee. Nine members will serve on the committee that will help decide what uses the building can support
Marshall County Council Begins Looking at Budget Figures
The Marshall County Council members received copies of their budget for 2018 with more in-depth discussions set for later in August.
Auditor Julie Fox incorporated a three-percent increase in her figures as the council approved that amount in June. She asked the council to review it and put in numbers that coincide with council expenditures.
