Huntingburg Common Council meeting notes
The Huntingburg Common Council met for their regular meeting on Thursday and took the following actions.
-Approved paying Dubois Strong $9,835 for the Professional Area Economic Development Services. The money was paid from Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) funds.
-Approved additional appropriations for the Americans with Disabilities Act compliance projects ongoing in the city. Funds were appropriated from the Riverboat Fund.
-Approved Amy Lehr as president pro tempore in cases in which the mayor cannot attend a council meeting.
-Approved the Huntingburg Press as the official newspaper for legal notices.
-Held over an amendment to the salary ordinance for consideration at the next meeting. Councilman Steve McPherron introduced a motion to increase the salary range for an operator at the Parks Department up to the salary range of an operator at the waste water department. The proposed amendment would raise the salary range from $18.43-$19.91 up to $18.58-$21.66. The amendment was held over due to lack of a unanimous vote to consider the ordinance on the night it was introduced. Councilwoman Linda Summers was the lone dissenting vote.
-Approved the Recreational Services Contract with Patoka Township to provide park and recreation programs for $12,000 paid by Patoka Township. This has been the same amount since 2002.
-Authorized the Huntingburg Board of Public Works to enter into Fire Protection Services contract with Patoka Township for $26,000 paid by Patoka Township. The board of public works can consider this for approval at their next meeting.
Heard from resident John Schneider about his concern for the recent vote to allow members of the council to participate in the city insurance program for the same premiums paid by employees of the city. Under the new ordinance, council members can pay $4.50 biweekly for coverage for just themselves, $28.50 biweekly for the council member and their dependent, $32.oo biweekly for a council member and their spouse, or $47.00 biweekly for a family plan. That story is here.
According to Mayor Denny Spinner the council had to make a decision on how to provide benefits for the mayor and clerk/treasurer office under the Affordable Care Act. The act doesn’t allow for differentiation between individuals in the same job classification.
Based on this, the council decided to allow the elected officials to participate in the city’s insurance program.
Here are Schneider’s remarks.
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