MENTONE - After reviewing a request from town employees for compensation of unpaid wages, the Mentone Town Council voted Monday to pay more than $10,000 to three employees.

That figure represents overtime for hours worked from 1996 through 2000 for which employees did not receive adequate compensatory time or salary.

Town employees previously received one hour of comp time for each hour of overtime worked. The current town council followed state law to provide for employees to receive 1-1/2 hours of comp time for each hour of overtime worked and the employees requested that it be made retroactive.

Attorneys advised the council that the 1996 ruling giving one hour of comp time for each hour of overtime was not acceptable according to state law, council president Ed Rock said. Because of the legal ramifications, the council opted to pay the half time for each of the employees - the time off was already taken. Rock said town employees weren't planning to sue the town but did have every right to do so if the claim was denied.

The total to be paid to utilities superintendent Brian Reed, street superintendent Darrel Miller and town marshal Jim Eads is $10,385, which includes 5 percent accumulated interest to compensate for nonpay.

Two-thirds of Reed's and Miller's payments will come from the utilities fund, with the balance paid out of the general fund. All of Ead's overtime compensation will come from the general fund. The payments will be made in lump sums, with taxes and Social Security deducted. An additional appropriation to the budget will be required.

Clerk-treasurer Jim Tibbets was concerned with how the State Board of Accounts will view these payments.

"We're gonna move ahead," Rock said, "and if they want to beat us up, they can beat us up."

In other business, the council:

• Approved the purchase of an Exmark mower with a 72-inch deck from Hoffman Simplicity Sales & Service in Warsaw. The town will trade in an old John Deere mower ($2,300 trade-in allowance) and pay $5,400 to acquire the new equipment.

• Announced guidelines for water service disconnection, including that service will be shut off for customers who accumulate delinquencies in excess of $45 or who haven't made payments for two months. Also, a disconnect fee will be added to the delinquency. A provision is available for customers to set up a payment plan to avoid disconnection.

• Learned via a letter from R.P. Murphy & Associates, Larwill, that the Indiana Department of Commerce grant sought for the library/day care project was denied for a second time. An IDOC representative will meet with town and library officials at 10 a.m. June 18 to discuss re-application of the grant in the next round of funding.

• Denied payment of a bill from Chapman Plumbing of Warsaw for $171.29. The bill was submitted by Main Street Investments for repair of a water meter at an apartment house. Council members noted that a better effort should have been made to contact a town official before the work was done by a private company.

• Approved for Reed to obtain quotes to cap the bases under each leg and the center pedestal of the water tower. Reed said the bases are deteriorating due to weather. Reed also will get quotes to replace the roof on the water shop.

• Announced that the Mentone Cemetery Board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday.

The next regular meeting is at 7 p.m. July 1. A budget planning meeting is set for 6 p.m. July 9. Both meetings will take place in the town hall.

Mentone Town Council members are Ed Rock, Ed Lamar and Mike Diemer. [[In-content Ad]]