A few weeks ago, the Jasper County Commission of Veterans Affairs had a clear objective: to ensure that the county’s current director of Veteran’s Affairs Chris Chartier had a future in Jasper County.
On Tuesday, and with the aid of Jasper County Human Resources Director Dennis Simon, the commission presented the Jasper County Board of Supervisors with a resolution to place Chartier back into the county’s department head pay plan program.
“We weren’t looking for a large increase but would like to get him into a step progression, where over a period of time we could increase his wages a little more respectably,” Simon said.
Simon said he and the commission researched the best model for growth for Chartier and felt placing him into Range 14, Step 2 in the county’s department head pay plan was the right fit.
“We weren’t here really looking for a raise but only to a future,” JCCVA spokesman John Billingsley said.
The plan Simon and the commission presented the board showed a slightly more than $500 difference between what he was scheduled to make in the 2014-2015 fiscal year and what they would like to see him at, but it would set him up for future advancement.
The board approved the resolution and Chartier will make $47,004 in FY15.
Jasper County Engineer Russ Stutt received approval for several items from the board including a contract with the Iowa Department of Transportation for IDOT to make road improvements to portions of Iowa 14 and 224.
Under the proposal, IDOT would do the work and the county would reimburse it, afterwards the county would continue to retain maintenance responsibility for the roads. IDOT plans to resurface Iowa 14 from County Road F-17 East to 1.6 miles west of Iowa Highway 224.
In addition, IDOT would resurface on Iowa Highway 224 north of Interstate 80 and west of Iowa 14. IDOT also would place paved shoulders on Iowa 14 from North Fourth Avenue West north to County Road 17.
Stutt doesn’t expect the project to start until FY15 or FY16 with of completion date of sometime in July 2016. IDOT estimates it will cost the county $145,000 for the projects.
Stutt’s other requests included a new work truck, which will be purchased from Ames Ford Lincoln for $25,232. His other request was to purchase various types of bridge beams. The approved low bid came from Wahoo, Neb.-based Oden Enterprises Inc. at a cost of $121,686.79.
In other business:
• The county amended its FY14 budget and also approved an appropriations resolution to move around $1.4 million in funds to align with the amended budget.
• Weekend Pit Stop was granted approval to use the Jasper County Courthouse lawn for its Cruisin’ to Newton events on Aug. 9 and Sept. 13.
• Jasper County Elderly Nutrition received approval to renew its contract with the Colfax Senior Citizens Center to continue to provide meals for eligible citizens.
• Part-time Jasper County driver’s license clerk Heather Preston was approved to have her position moved to full-time beginning on July 1. Preston will make $14.22 an hour.
• County Sanitarian Kevin Luetters received approval to purchase high tech GPS system for his department. The unit St. Paul, Minn.-based Tree Biz at a cost of $3,355.
• Robert Ham Jr., Fred Giesman and Paul Mattingly all received approval for fireworks permits.
Senior staff writer Ty Rushing may be contacted at (641) 792-3121, ext. 426, or at trushing@newtondailynews.com.