Starke Highway Department Gets Green Light for Inspection Supervisor

Starke County Highway Superintendent Stephen "Rik" Ritzler
Starke County Highway Superintendent Stephen “Rik” Ritzler
The Starke County Highway Department will soon be on the search for a new employee after the county commissioners last night gave authorization for Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler to create a new position in his department. Ritzler asked that the commissioners approve his request to ultimately hire a construction inspection supervisor, which would allow the county to forgo hiring inspectors for projects.

The supervisor would have to be INDOT certified, but Ritzler said there are already a number of residents within the county who would qualify for the position. He said he estimates the savings would be around $140,000 over two years, and the supervisor could train other highway department employees as well.

On top of that, Ritzler said there is a possibility that INDOT may reimburse some of the expense in hiring a supervisor.

The commissioners approved his request, authorizing him to create the new position; he will next appear before the council for their approval as well.