Carroll County Council members finished the second and final day of the 2011 department spending plan explanations Thursday. Some plans presented resembled the 2010 appropriated budgets, however some departments requested much more.

Carroll County Zoning Administrator Kathy Mylet and surveyor Wayne Chapman described needs which exceed their current staffing level. In addition, county drainage board members Bill Brown, Loren Hylton and Pat Clawson, requested a significant increase in the pay they receive for their service on the board.

Mylet explained that she received word from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) that the agency will no longer provide code enforcement for commercial construction. She said she was told that if the county has zoning and building standards in ordinance form, it is required to provide enforcement of the code per Indiana law.

Mylet further explained in a letter to the council that “the local area plan commission (APC) is authorized and directed to administer and enforce all of the provisions of the State code.”

She said IDHS “strongly recommended” that Carroll County hire a building inspector to ensure that all work is done in compliance with the State codes.

Mylet requested the new position be funded at $10,800. She said the person hired would work on an asneeded basis and would be required to be licensed to perform inspections. Mylet explained the new inspector would only inspect new construction.

She also requested that APC board members receive $50 per meeting rather than the $35 appropriated this year. In addition, she requested $1,000 for part-time employment, although none was appropriated in 2010.

Drainage board/surveyor

Commissioners president and drainage board member Loren Hylton explained that board members should be paid more in 2011 due to the amount of time each spends receiving telephone calls and traveling the county assessing drainage situations. He said the three serve the county for much longer than 30 minutes each month at the monthly meeting.

“I get a lot of telephone calls,” Hylton said. “I make a lot of trips.”

Hylton compared the stipend to salaries of other county employees who make $10 to $12 per hour.

County surveyor Wayne Chapman was not present for his scheduled time to explain the department’s 2011 spending plan which increased from $53,979 to $97,900. Chapman requested $28,000 for a deputy surveyor, a new position for the county. He also requested an increase from the current $800 appropriation to $5,000 for extra survey help. Although there were no funds appropriated for professional services, Chapman requested $500 in 2011 for the line item.

Courthouse requests

Courthouse custodian Sheryl Shockley requested $4,000 more than appropriated this year for extra help and $10,000 for a new mower for the courthouse.

Council members will begin to deliberate department requests Oct. 12, 14 and 15 at 8:30 a.m. They will meet with department heads to explain funding decisions Oct. 21 at 8:30 a.m. Budget adoption is expected to be Oct. 28 at 4:30 p.m.

A copy of all department budget requests can be found at the Carroll County Auditor’s office on the second floor of the courthouse.