The 2-percent cost-of-living raises which the Chesterton Town Council approved for municipal employees in June—courtesy of a surplus of around $300,000 found at the time in the health insurance fund—will carry through into 2010.

At their meeting Monday night, members voted 4-0 to approve on first reading the 2010 Salary Ordinance, 4-0 to suspend the rules, then 4-0 to approve the ordinance on final reading. Member Dave Cincoski‚ R-3rd, a serving member of the Chesterton Police Department, recused himself from voting.

Those 2-percent raises are reflected in the 2010 Salary Ordinance for all full-time employees but not for elected or appointed officials:

•Clerk-Treasurer: $51,945. No change from 2009.

•Town Manager: $73,000.

•Police Chief: $54,863.

•Fire Chief: $54,863.

•Street Commissioner: $50,527. The Street Commissioner will also earn $17,167 as MS4 Commissioner.

•Park Superintendent: $52,020.

•Building Commissioner: $45,900.

•Town Attorney: an hourly rate of $150 for all counsel above and beyond that provided by his retainer of $12,657. The Utility will also pay the Town Attorney a retainer of $11,000. No change from 2009.

•Town Council Member: $4,835. No change from 2009.

•Plan Commissioner Member: $1,320, plus $50 per special meeting requested by a petitioner. No change from 2009.

•Board of Zoning Appeals Member: $1,320, plus $50 per special meeting requested by a petitioner. No change from 2009.

•Park Board Member: $500. No change from 2009.

•Utility Service Board Member: $3,033. No change from 2009.

•MS4 Superintendent: $64,806. The MS4 Superintendent will also earn $5,202 as Town Engineer, $10,984 as Economic Development Engineer, and $16,878 as Utility Engineer, for a total of $98,870.

•MS4 Operator: $41,616.

All employees will also earn a longevity bonus of $125 per year for each full year of service with the town.

Clerk-Treasurer Gayle Polakowski estimated in June that the 2-percent raises amount to around $80,000.

In other business, by votes of 5-0 members awarded contracts for the demolition of two fire-damaged houses in town:

The first contract is for the demolition of Sofianos Hasapis’ house at 1500 Maximilian Drive in the Rose Hill Estates subdivision, to CHS Construction and Restoration of Michigan City in the amount of $9,385. CHS was the lowest responsive and responsible bidder of five. The next lowest was $11,380 bid by G.E. Marshall of Valparaiso.

Hasapis failed to comply with a demolition order in August. That order gave Hasapis 10 days to demolish the house, essentially destroyed by a fire on Jan. 30 which the Chesterton Fire Department determined to be incendiary in origin. Police said that Hasapis was in Illinois at the time of the fire.

The second contract is for the demolition of Terry Long’s house at 616 S. Second St., to Tri Inc. of East Chicago in the amount of $8,190. Tri Inc. was the only bidder.

In June members voted unanimously to have the house demolished after determining that Long failed to comply with an order to remove debris from the property and take other remediative actions. The house was damaged in a fire in November 2008.

Meanwhile, members voted 5-0 to approve the 2009 fire protection contract with Westchester Township, in the amount of $32,319, the town’s share of the $37,800 which the township splits between Chesterton and Porter based on the number of calls to which each municipality’s fire department responds in unincorporated Westchester.

As President Emerson DeLaney, R-5th, noted, the contract in question is for the current year, “which is almost over with.” Next year’s contract is at this point an unknown quantity, inasmuch as Westchester Township like every other taxing unit in Porter County is months away from having a certified 2010 budget. As it is, Polawkoski said, Westchester Township is not expected to collect enough property-tax revenues to cover the $37,800 contract and is making up the shortfall through its Rainy Day Fund.

DeLaney said that he and Fire Chief Mike Orlich will be meeting with Westchester Township Trustee Suzanne Philbrick soon to discuss the situation.

Members also voted 5-0 to renew its annual contract with Porter-Starke Services to provide an Employee Assistance Program—required under the town’s Personnel Policy—for municipal employees.

That program offers counseling services.

The cost of the program: $2.50 per employee per month. The total number of covered employees: 81.

Posted 12/15/2009