Danville approves 2% raises

DANVILLE -— The Danville Village Council set the salaries for elected officials and wages for village employees during its meeting Monday.

Council, following an hour executive session, passed an amended Ordinance 2009-10, which set the salaries and wages for 2010.

The ordinance allowed for a 2 percent pay raise for the positions of clerk-treasurer, deputy clerk, police sergeant, village administrator and maintenance workers. Council considered the raise significant since the Cost of Living Adjustment is basically zero this year. Part-time and seasonal employees’ wages remained the same as 2009.

The ordinance also set the compensation for the police chief in his new capacity at $13,250 per year. One other change was made to the amendment, this one at the request of Police Chief Monte Vance. Volunteer police auxiliary officers will now be paid $150 per fiscal year and be compensated $10 per hour when performing the duties of a regular, full-time or part-time position officer during sickness, vacation, leave of absence or emergency. The auxiliary officers will be required to work eight hours per month.

In other news:

•Dustin Davis was sworn in as a new auxiliary police officer for the village. The Mount Vernon resident recently graduated from the Delaware Police Academy.

•Council agreed to continue as a member of the Knox County Regional Planning Commission. It agreed to pay the $268.25 membership fee and will appoint a representative and alternate soon.

•Council agreed to pay compensation to Sgt. Tom Looney for the cost of taking care of Lasko, the village’s K-9 officer. Council will pay for costs incurred since Jan. 1, 2009, and for costs in the future.

•Councilman Jim Holmes brought up the issue of traffic and pedestrian safety at the intersections of Rambo and High and Mickley streets. He said nearly 800 students cross the intersection there daily, and he believes there is a major issue with traffic not slowing down for the pedestrians.

He suggested applying for a grant through the Mount Vernon-Knox County Community Trust Foundation to help pay for flashing lights at the intersection. He will work with Vance and village administrator Robert Shipley on the application, which Mayor Bob Dile said needed to be completed by January for the village to apply for a larger grant total.

•Councilwoman Jill Byers asked council to consider updating the zoning map for the village. She will work with county and engineering officials in an effort to update the 10-year-old map with new properties annexed and new street names.

•Shipley gave council members a report on an issue that arose with the village water supply on Nov. 25. Well No. 5 had been turned off to be cleaned, but it was discovered that Well No. 7 shared the same flow aquifer. That resulted in the discoloration of the water supply when a non-toxic cleaning agent was put into well No. 5.

Shipley said there were no problems with the water, other than the discoloration, but a village-wide non-consumption alert was issued. The report stated all that the village officials did that day to alleviate the problem and alert the village residents to the problem.

Shipley also reported he attended a lagoon class at the Environmental Protection Agency last week, which was very beneficial. He said the class gave him information that will allow him to make improvements at the village lagoons.

•Clerk-treasurer Laurie Vess reported the village had received two letters of interest for the open council seat. The deadline for anyone interested in being appointed to the position should send a letter to the clerk’s office by Dec. 31.

Council adjourned at 10:16 p.m.