Work on the HVAC system at the Greene County courthouse started this week with the placement of a large roll-off in the east parking lot. County sanitarian Chuck Wenthold reported to the county supervisors at their Oct. 27 meeting that work will begin the basement this week, cutting floors for tiles, capping lines and installing duct work.
County engineer Wade Weiss updated the supervisors on repairs needed to the Mahanay Bell Tower. He had reported during the summer that four of the bells hanging on the outside of the superstructure at the top of the tower weren’t working due to lightning strikes. The count is now up to six. Weiss was quoted $5,500 last summer by Verdin Company for the four coils, and renting a crane for a day will be another $9,000. He said he hopes total cost will be less than $20,000 for the crane and six coils.
The bells well be removed from the tower, taken to the secondary roads shop to have the coils replaced, and then hung up again the same day.
Supervisor Pete Bardole reported he and supervisor Joe Gannon were part of the interview team to hire a new IT director. The position was offered to Justin Bristow, currently a computer systems analyst at Iowa Central Community College; Bristow accepted. His start date will be Nov. 10. “He seems like a go-getter. He likes challenges,” Bardole said.
The county will enter into a 28E agreement with Carroll and Webster counties for back-up to Bristow. The supervisors will have the needed resolution on their agenda next week.
The supervisors approved wage increases for fulltime employees in the ambulance department as discussed a week ago. Hourly wages for EMTs will increase from a range of $14.20 to $15.36 (depending on experience) to $23; from $15-$20 for advanced EMTs to $25; and from $23.47 to $27 for paramedics.
The wage increases will add an estimated $110,000 to the ambulance payroll, but that will be offset by being able to handle more transfers for Greene County Medical Center (@$600) and reducing overtime (at a savings of $65,000). The net to the county will be an additional $98,000 in revenue, according to auditor Billie Jo Hoskins.
Supervisor Dan Benitz supported a larger wage increase as he did last week. He made a motion to that effect but it died for lack of a second.
The wage increases will be effective with the Nov. 15 payroll. The supervisors approved a resolution commending Mike Ostendorf for his 23 years of service to the secondary roads department. Ostendorf worked primarily in the Rippey shop. His retirement is effective Nov. 2. Board chair John Muir referred to him as “a top notch guy.”
