[DEC. 21, 2005]
A request initiated by Judge David Coogan to grant
an annual 3 percent raise for a courthouse employee was rejected at
last night's county board meeting.
Board member John Stewart continued to oppose the raise, citing that
he does not think the jury commissioner, Janet Kvitle, qualifies. As
a part-time employee she either does not put in enough hours to be
full-time, which is 32 hours per week, or she does not record all
the time she puts in. Her hours aren't set beyond the jury week
hours of three hours a day (more or less, till a jury is selected),
three days a week.
Stewart said that by his calculations she's making more than $19
an hour, which is more than some of the elected officials make.
Kivtle was on hand last week to say that she is allowed to take
other preparatory and review paperwork home, and she does her
computer data entry at home as needed to get the job done.
Steward said that he is concerned that because she does not log
the hours that she works at home it may be a violation of Department
of Labor laws, the same as the animal control facility was fined for
a couple of years ago.
Board member Pat O'Neill agreed with Stewart that other part-time
employees cannot get raises. He said that they lost a really good
employee at the animal control facility over that last year.
Finance chairman Chuck Ruben said that the difference is that
this employee is under the review of an elected official, Judge
Coogan. Coogan is more responsible for making that decision, Ruben
said.
It was Coogan who came to the finance committee this month to
request that the raise be given to Kvitle, the same as to other
members of his office and the same as in years past. He felt that
the position justified the raise.
Board member Bill Sahs asked if the department has enough
flexibility in its budget to cover the raise.
Ruben said that they have a fluid budget, but it has little
control. It covers such costs as coroner expenses and indigent
costs, which vary considerably from one year to the next. It was
$42,000 over budget last year. But this year they are under budget,
he said.
The request for the raise required a two-thirds vote to pass. It
failed: seven against, four in favor, one abstaining.
Sahs, Stewart, Dale Voyles, Rick Aylesworth, Paul Gleason, Vicky
Hasprey and O'Neill voted no.
Bop Farmer, Dick Logan, George Mitchell and Ruben voted yes.
Terry Werth abstained due to a business relationship with
Kvitle's husband.
Back pay for new county engineer Bret Aukamp, formerly the
assistant engineer, was approved for the time that he has served as
acting engineer. Aukamp took over the duties of Tom Hickman from
Aug. 18 to Nov. 16 before being selected to fill the Hickman's
position. He has been and continues to cover both his and Hickman's
job.
Aukamp is now interviewing candidates for his old position as
assistant engineer.
Space will be reserved for Rep. Bill Mitchell to see constituents
in the Logan County Courthouse. Rep. Rich Brauer sees constituents
at the Logan County Farm Bureau building.
The board approved an additional 300 days to be added to the
juvenile detention contract with McLean County at $80 per day. It
was thought last week that 150 days were being asked for by chief
probation officer Dean Aeilts, but the total is being increased by
300 days. McLean has offered that any leftover days will carry over
into the next contract.
Mark Hilliard, the Logan County Health Department administrator,
developed a body art ordinance for the county. The ordinance is not
because there is any problem with any tattoo establishment in the
county but is being initiated as a preventative measure.
The ordinance includes a permit fee and an annual inspection of
the facility. The specs were reviewed by staff sanitarians; the
director of environmental health, Margie Harris; and Mary Anderson,
communicable disease staff nurse. The fees are middle range of what
other counties are charging.
Hilliard said that State's Attorney Tim Huyett had approved the
draft.
The ordinance was approved with some speculations on what color
tattoos board members were thinking about getting.
Geographic information system committee
Assignments to the new geographic information system committee
were announced. The diversity of the project called for a large
committee representing many of the areas covered by GIS.
Those who will serve on the committee are:
Carol Ash, from the Logan County Health Department
Jean Anderson, regional superintendent of schools for Logan,
Mason and Menard counties
Mary Bruns, Logan County treasurer
Dewey Colter, Logan County coordinator
Bill Dickerson, Logan County Soil and Water Conservation,
chamber ag committee, land use and zoning
Phil Mahler, Logan County zoning director
Bill Glaze, Mount Pulaski mayor, Logan County Regional Planning Commission
president, co-chair of the comprehensive plan committee
Sally Litterly, Logan County clerk
Bill Martin, Atlanta mayor, co-chair of the comprehensive plan committee
Mark Mathon, city of Lincoln engineer
Rob Orr, Lincoln and Logan County Development Partnership
director
Mike Patridge, Mount Pulaski, Local Emergency Planning
Committee -- local environmental
Terry Storer, assistant director of Logan County Emergency
Management
Terry Werth, chairman of the county board's road and bridge
committee
Beth Davis, Lincoln mayor
Committees scheduled to meet on Jan. 2 have been rescheduled for
Jan. 11. The airport committee begins at 7 p.m. Road and bridge will
follow.
Al Wolf of Beason Fire Department replaces Gene Krause on the
Beason Fire and Water District board. Krause is retiring.
A highway maintenance program using motor fuel taxes to purchase
materials from the lowest bidder was approved.
Approval was also given to purchase the annual aggregate from the
lowest bidder.
