By HOLLY GASKILL
In light of the ongoing county engineer vacancy, the Wells County Council has approved an additional administrative support position and stipends for the Highway Department supervisor and current bookkeeper.
Although approved unanimously, they were accompanied by substantial conversations about the appropriateness of the additions during the council’s special session on Monday.
Highway Supervisor Shawn Bonar had requested the position and stipends during the council’s regular meeting on March 5, saying that he has worked over 250 hours in overtime since Nate Rumschlag’s resignation in December. A large portion of these hours were spent filling in as the Employee in Responsible Charge, who reviews, discusses and signs off on the development of locally funded projects.
Rumschlag, who was present Monday, said this had accounted for roughly 30-40% of his work. Rumschlag also handled questions from the public and other administrative work, which has affected the department’s one bookkeeper.
Bonar requested an additional bookkeeper at a $40,257.59 salary, a $27,000 annual stipend for temporarily filling ERC responsibilities, and a $3,000 annual stipend for the bookkeeper for additional administrative work. The stipends were approximated considering Rumschlag’s former salary and how Adams County had similarly compensated two employees during their engineer vacancy.
The council initially questioned whether a temporary need would necessitates a full-time position and suggested they wait on the request until annual budget planning in August. However, Bonar emphasized that the department cannot maintain current workloads nor work toward their goal of handling auto repairs in-house.
Bonar and Rumschlag also stressed that the additional support had been a longstanding desire for the department. Commissioner Jeff Stringer later echoed this sentiment, saying he would’ve supported the decision earlier if the previous highway garage had the space.
Bonar also credited Auditor Lisa McCormick, saying this understaffing had also given her a heavier workload.
McCormick later stated that the Highway Department’s operating balance could support the role.
The position was approved 6-0. Council members Seth Whicker, Todd Mahnensmith, Brandon Harnish, Brian Lambert, Scott Elzey, and Steve Huggins voted in favor, with Huggins voting via Zoom; Vicki Andrews was absent.
The consideration of stipends was more difficult. While those present expressed gratitude for the “over and above” work by the department, there was a significant hesitation in setting a precedent.
Harnish noted that Bonar is a salaried employee with the county and is expected to occasionally work beyond 40 hours per week. He struggled with the premise that, in a busy season, salaried employees could begin to expect overtime compensation.
Elzey expressed very similar feelings, saying the matter could “open Pandora’s box.” He also wanted a clear definition of when the stipends would end.
Bonar compared the matter to a similar $3,000 stipend given to custodian Bobbie Studebaker for filling Rumschlag’s former Americans with Disabilities Act responsibilities. This provided some clarity, and Harnish then stated that the stipend would not be for the overtime hours, per se, but for the additional role. The role would be included in a new engineer’s responsibilities and salaries.
“I think we’re unstaffed out there,” Huggins said. “I think we need to take care of (Bonar). I don’t think we can do it retroactively, but I think we definitely need to do it going forward.”
Harnish then questioned how the bookkeeper stipend was going to be defined. “This is a sort of potpourri of different responsibilities,” he said. Bonar clarified that the stipend also accommodated support work for ERC duties.
Stringer advocated for the stipend, comparing the matter to raises given to the Health Department during understaffing. He said, “I think what has happened in the past is we’ve given them extra duties, and we’ve never paid them … I wouldn’t do some of these jobs for the pay they’re getting.”
“I know we’re trying to solve a problem,” Harnish replied. “And I want to make sure by solving one problem we don’t create another.”
Both matters were approved unanimously and will continue until the county hires an engineer. However, there were mixed statements regarding the hiring process.
Elzey stated that the position may not be filled with a full-time person. Stringer later said the commissioners were working on an agreement with Adams County.
Rumschlag, now Adams County’s engineer, is currently contracted in Wells for one day weekly through an interlocal agreement. However, that agreement will expire in mid-April.
Considering the agreement’s renewal, Bonar and Rumschlag proposed Rumschlag’s contracted hours be reduced to help support the cost of the additional bookkeeper and stipends. The council advised they were unable to approve any funding on the matter before approval by the commissioners.
While a resolution remains up in the air, several council members affirmed that the extreme overtime could not continue long-term for Bonar.
“No matter what, you (Bonar) can’t keep working these hours,” Whicker said.
Also during the special session, the council approved two additional appropriations — $984,800 from the Local Trax fund and $1,114,261 from the Rainy Day fund — for a grant project from Adams Street to Hoosier Highway. The appropriation from the Rainy Day fund will be reimbursed through a federal grant, but the county had to pay the cost up front. The council had unanimously approved a resolution on the matter on March 5.
The council’s next meeting is at 7 p.m. on April 2.
holly@news-banner.com
