County Board Approves Salaries For Apointees

By Alex Haglund

The contracts and salaries for three major county officials came up during the County Board’s meeting on the evening of Tuesday, December 8, held at the Nashville Community Center. These officials were County Engineer Mitch Burdick, County Ambulance Service Director John Felchlia and County Zoning Commissioner/EMA/Safety chief Rick Greten.

First, Highway Department Head and County Engineer Mitch Burdick spoke to the board and among the highway department business the board approved was a resolution to appropriate funds for the county engineer’s salary (half of it) from Federal Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) funds that the county receives.

In personnel, both Felchlia and Greten’s contracts with the county were renewed. Both contracts are nearly the same as last year’s with the exception of salaries and an addition to Felchlia’s contract that would allow him to operate as a paramedic if the need should arise.

Both Felchlia and Greten will be paid $52,634 next year. The board has been bumping up Greten’s salary closer and closer to Felchlia’s in the past few years and now that they are at the same level, Board chair David Meyer stated that they would remain the same for the foreseeable future.

Greten, who works as the head of zoning, safety and the emergency management agency has his salary reflecting the approximate proportion of his time that each of his roles takes up – EMA, 50-percent; Zoning, 35–percent; and Safety, 15-percent.

In other personnel issues, the board approved several reappointments to other boards in the county. Both Barbara Mill and Kevin Meyer were reappointed to four year terms on the county board of mental health. Mitch Burdick was reappointed to a three year term on the regional planning commission.

Highway

Burdick also asked that another appropriations resolution be passed, this one to appropriate MFT funds for 2016.

“It’s very similar to last year,” Burdick said, “setting aside what we can, not necessarily will, spend out of our County MFT funds.”

Burdick stated that as of now, all of the county road districts and county MFT budgets are in place, with money ready to be spent as of Jan. 1.

Following action by the State of Illinois, Burdick also stated that MFT funds from the state of Illinois should finally start being paid out. Burdick added that due to the amount of backlog by the state, along with the holidays, he would expect that it would be the end of January before they were caught up.

Calendar

The board approved their meeting calendar for the next year. Meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month, at 7 p.m. Except for October, 8 p.m., and December 3 p.m.

The November meeting date would have fallen on an election say, that meeting will be moved to third Tuesday in the month, November 15.

County Audit

The board approved having the county’s audit performed by Krebheil and Associates. The cost for the audit will eb $16,400 for the county, plus $1,500 for the audit of Senior Services, for $17,900 total. The cost of the county’s audit is going up three-percent.

“The reason for the increase,” said Gary Malawy of Krebheil and Associates, who was present at the meeting, ”is the renovation of the courthouse and the auditing of all of the additional expenses and expenditures there.”

Other

The board also approved a service agreement with Simplex and Grinnell for the ambulance department in the amount of $1,679 per year for five years.