The Starke County Council members last week approved a $5,000 additional appropriation to pay on the contract with the Starke County Convention and Visitors Commission and the Starke County Chamber of Commerce for providing services to promote tourism.
Starke County Council Approves Transfer of Highway Funds
Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler requested a transfer of funds from the fuel line item to help pay for other projects.
Ritzler explained that there is a surplus of funds in the fuel line item that can be spread to other accounts to pay for needed projects in the county. He said some of the funds will be spent on upgrading signs.
Starke County Council Approves Three Percent Employee Raise
The Starke County Council Monday night approved a three percent increase for county employees. The council members discussed what sort of impact that will have on the budget and found it would be about a $78,000 increase. They felt that was feasible, but they hope that the state won’t cut too much out of the budget.
The public hearing for the 2018 budget for Starke County will be held on Oct. 2. The budget adoption is scheduled for Oct. 18. Budgets must be approved by Nov. 1.
Starke County Council and Commissioners to Meet Tonight
The Starke County Council will meet tonight with a full agenda.
The council members plan to adopt the North Judson-San Pierre 2018 budget and discuss a Rainy Day resolution request. A building corporation bond issue will be before the council along with discussions concerning transfer requests and additional appropriation requests by the IT Department, county highway, and Drug and Tobacco Free Starke County.
Coroner Pay to be Discussed at Next Commissioners Meeting
The coroner’s pay will be discussed at the Sept. 18 meeting of the Starke County Commissioners as Coroner Dannie Hoffer is also asking for an increase for his deputies.
The commissioners were prepared to present an increase in pay for the coroner in 2018, but when Hoffer asked about an increase for his deputies next year the commissioners decided to take a step back and research the request before making any formal offer.
SCEDF Still Working on Stelrema Building Sale, Looking for New Occupant for Sysco Site
Gourmet snack food producer Gary Poppins could be moving into the former Stelrema building north of Knox by the end of this year, but there are still a few issues that need to be resolved first. The sale is in the “final stages of due diligence,” according to Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charlie Weaver.
Manufacturing Day Events Planned for Starke, Pulaski Counties
Manufacturing Day is just over a month away, and economic development officials are getting ready. Seventh graders from around Starke County will once again have the chance to meet with representatives from local industries, during an event hosted by the Starke County Economic Development Foundation.
Precision Waterjet Concepts (PWC) was founded in 2002. The company founders saw a need for quality abrasive Waterjet Cutting in many industries and started the company to meet that demand.
Starke County Coroner Asked to Formalize Procedures Amid Legal Concerns
Starke County Coroner Dannie Hoffer says he’s taking steps to save the county money, but other county officials are worried that could lead to some legal troubles. Hoffer addressed several concerns during last week’s county council and county commissioners meetings.
Starke County Council Creates Fund for Park Donations
You can now make a donation to the Starke County Park Board. While the park board oversees a few different facilities, including the Bass Lake Beach and Campground and the Starke County Forest, it does not have a dedicated funding source from the county government. However, the county council last week created a “special non-reverting park and recreation fund,” designed to let the park board accept “gifts, donations, and subsidies.”
Starke County Council Sets Hourly Pay Rate for EMA Director
The Starke County Council has set a pay rate for the county’s next Emergency Management Agency director. Former director Jacob Lippner was fired by the county commissioners back in May. They’ve since decided to make the position a part-time job going forward.
Starke County Commissioners Approve Courthouse Elevator Grant Application
Upgrades to the Starke County Courthouse elevator are a step closer to moving ahead. The county commissioners voted Monday to submit a grant application to the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, after they sent in a letter of intent last month.
Out-of-County Autopsy Costs a Concern for Starke County Coroner
Starke County’s coroner says out-of-county autopsies are causing a big strain on his budget. Now, county officials may be looking to state lawmakers to help ease that burden.
Starke County Council Holds Hearing for 2018 North Judson-San Pierre Budget
The North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation’s efforts to cut spending are having a positive impact on the corporation’s budget. That’s what Business Manager Guy Richie told the Starke County Council Monday during a hearing on the corporation’s 2018 budget proposal. Continue reading
Starke County Council to Hold Public Hearing Tonight on North Judson-San Pierre Budget
A public hearing on the North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation’s proposed 2018 budget will be held during tonight’s Starke County Council meeting.
North Judson-San Pierre School Board Reviews 2018 Budget Proposal during Work Session
Starke County Sheriff Requests Three Full-Time Staff Members
The Starke County Commissioners considered a proposal from Sheriff Bill Dulin to move three part-time employees to full-time positions at the Starke County Sheriff’s Office in 2018.
Sheriff Dulin said he’d like to have a full-time receptionist, full-time cook and full-time 911 operator. He said a significant savings in part-time funding would be saved if these three employees moved to full-time. He is also asking for a raise of $1,000 for dispatchers to be included in the 2018 budget.
Starke County Sheriff Looking for Pay Increases in Next Year’s Budget
Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin commented to the Starke County Council in mid-July that he would like to see a pay increase for the staff at the Starke County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Dulin said that his department is the lowest paid in the county. His staff has a lower wage than those working for the Starke County EMS, Starke County Highway Department and even the town and city police departments within the county. Officers are leaving the department to seek the same employment in other jurisdictions because of pay.
Starke County Council to Review Part Time Employee Status
The Starke County Council will revisit its salary ordinance pertaining to classifications of employees as part-time or skilled part-time.
There are different pay scales for those employees who work part-time and those part-time workers who have developed skills that can be interchangeable between departments. It is up to the department head to determine which level of pay that employee receives.
Starke County Council to Review Officer Pay
Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin asked the county council members to review the pay scale for the sheriff’s department.
Sheriff Dulin said he’s losing officers to other departments and the salary offered is not competitive with other departments. In fact, he told the council that he’s lost four officers. He said it’s hard to attract applicants with what he’s able to offer. Dulin mentioned that his department is the lowest paid department in the county and the eighth lowest in terms of competitive salaries in the state.
Starke County Coroner Seeks Additional Funds
Starke County Coroner Dannie Hoffer approached the Starke County Council Monday night seeking additional funds to help pay autopsy fees.
Hoffer explained that three cases of accidental overdoses have caused additional expenses that his budget doesn’t allow. The cost of an autopsy is $1,600 and sometimes more depending on the forensic pathologist used. Hoffer said he typically uses the service of a forensic pathologist south of Indianapolis as his fee is $1,500 while the fee in South Bend is $3,200 and $2,800 in Fort Wayne.
