Warsaw Approves Contracting Engineer, Cell Phone Policy Change
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Warsaw Board of Public Works at its April 6 meeting will still need to approve the contract with James Emans, Emans Engineering, to provide engineering services on a contractual basis.
The position has been budgeted for in the past but never filled, Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said.
The position will be part-time, three days a week.
Emans’ duties will be to review new development construction plans for compliance with city ordinances, assist the utility manager with erosion control and a seperate storm sewer system program and prepare bidding and construction documents for small improvement projects.
The council approved transferring $6,400 from salaries and wages into the building and planning professional services budget to allow for contracting the city engineer.
The council also approved allowing the building and planning department’s administrative assistant to go from part-time to full-time.
The council approved transferring $11,037 from salary and wages into building and planning insurance; $2,137 from salary and wages into building and planning Public Employee Retirement Fund, and $342 from salary and wages into building and planning Federal Insurance Contributions.
The council also approved a new cell phone allowance policy for the city.
The policy will allow the limited business use of personal phones by way of an allowance instead of the city providing a cell phone to certain employees, according to Jennifer Whitaker, human resources director.
The policy is for anyone who has been designated by their department head as having a need to conduct limited city use on their own phone.
“We’ve asked department heads to identify in their department who has used cell phones in the past and used past cell phone records to determine usage amounts,” Thallemer said.
Thallemer said if a city employee uses their cell phone a lot they will be recommended by the department head for a $35 reimbursement a month.
If they are on a family plan, they may receive $24 per month.
Thallemer said there will still be a few city cell phones issued for those identified by department heads as having an excessive amount of cell phone use.
“The big thing now is employees have to carry two cell phones, a personal and work cell phone, and the phones the city provided were underutilized,” Thallemer said.
He said the new policy is a way to compensate employees for personal use of their phone and save the city money.
Also during the meeting the city approved Scenario 2 presented by City Planner Jeremy Skinner for redistricting the council districts.
The scenario includes District One councilman Jeff Grose, who currently represents 2,924 people, instead representing 2,736; District 2 councilman Charlie Smith, who represents 2,605, representing 2,758; District 3 councilman Mike Klondaris, who represents 2,929, representing 2,635; District 4 councilman Jerry Frush, who represents 2,205 now representing 2,744; and District 5 councilwoman Diane Quance, who represents 2,921, will represent 2,708.
The council tabled approving a traffic safety commission ordinance to revise membership, duties and responsibilities. The city will speak with Kip Shuter, traffic commission administrator, to discuss payment for city council representatives serving on the traffic commission.
Grose said he felt a councilman who serves on the commission should be paid as other voting members.
The council reviewed 2011 year-end reports for the Building and Planning Department and Wastewater Treatment Utility facility.
The council approved an ordinance to amend the personnel policy handbook.
The council also approved a resolution to transfer $300 from the general fund to the police pension fund which is in need of money for cash flow purposes.
The council heard a presentation from Brian Houghton, Jones & Henry, on a Wastewater Treatment Utility facility project review.
There are two projects. Project #18 is to install a wastewater pump station at 794 W. Center St. at the former wastewater plant to modify four of the existing wastewater tanks and install a screen, two grit channels and five wastewater pumps.
Project #19 is to install a force main sewer pipe from the old wastewater plant on Center Street to the new wastewater plant at 2056 N. CR 150W.
The projects were awarded in January and construction has begun on both.
The work will be substantially completed in September, with final completion in December.[[In-content Ad]]
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Warsaw Board of Public Works at its April 6 meeting will still need to approve the contract with James Emans, Emans Engineering, to provide engineering services on a contractual basis.
The position has been budgeted for in the past but never filled, Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said.
The position will be part-time, three days a week.
Emans’ duties will be to review new development construction plans for compliance with city ordinances, assist the utility manager with erosion control and a seperate storm sewer system program and prepare bidding and construction documents for small improvement projects.
The council approved transferring $6,400 from salaries and wages into the building and planning professional services budget to allow for contracting the city engineer.
The council also approved allowing the building and planning department’s administrative assistant to go from part-time to full-time.
The council approved transferring $11,037 from salary and wages into building and planning insurance; $2,137 from salary and wages into building and planning Public Employee Retirement Fund, and $342 from salary and wages into building and planning Federal Insurance Contributions.
The council also approved a new cell phone allowance policy for the city.
The policy will allow the limited business use of personal phones by way of an allowance instead of the city providing a cell phone to certain employees, according to Jennifer Whitaker, human resources director.
The policy is for anyone who has been designated by their department head as having a need to conduct limited city use on their own phone.
“We’ve asked department heads to identify in their department who has used cell phones in the past and used past cell phone records to determine usage amounts,” Thallemer said.
Thallemer said if a city employee uses their cell phone a lot they will be recommended by the department head for a $35 reimbursement a month.
If they are on a family plan, they may receive $24 per month.
Thallemer said there will still be a few city cell phones issued for those identified by department heads as having an excessive amount of cell phone use.
“The big thing now is employees have to carry two cell phones, a personal and work cell phone, and the phones the city provided were underutilized,” Thallemer said.
He said the new policy is a way to compensate employees for personal use of their phone and save the city money.
Also during the meeting the city approved Scenario 2 presented by City Planner Jeremy Skinner for redistricting the council districts.
The scenario includes District One councilman Jeff Grose, who currently represents 2,924 people, instead representing 2,736; District 2 councilman Charlie Smith, who represents 2,605, representing 2,758; District 3 councilman Mike Klondaris, who represents 2,929, representing 2,635; District 4 councilman Jerry Frush, who represents 2,205 now representing 2,744; and District 5 councilwoman Diane Quance, who represents 2,921, will represent 2,708.
The council tabled approving a traffic safety commission ordinance to revise membership, duties and responsibilities. The city will speak with Kip Shuter, traffic commission administrator, to discuss payment for city council representatives serving on the traffic commission.
Grose said he felt a councilman who serves on the commission should be paid as other voting members.
The council reviewed 2011 year-end reports for the Building and Planning Department and Wastewater Treatment Utility facility.
The council approved an ordinance to amend the personnel policy handbook.
The council also approved a resolution to transfer $300 from the general fund to the police pension fund which is in need of money for cash flow purposes.
The council heard a presentation from Brian Houghton, Jones & Henry, on a Wastewater Treatment Utility facility project review.
There are two projects. Project #18 is to install a wastewater pump station at 794 W. Center St. at the former wastewater plant to modify four of the existing wastewater tanks and install a screen, two grit channels and five wastewater pumps.
Project #19 is to install a force main sewer pipe from the old wastewater plant on Center Street to the new wastewater plant at 2056 N. CR 150W.
The projects were awarded in January and construction has begun on both.
The work will be substantially completed in September, with final completion in December.[[In-content Ad]]
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