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Monday, July 24, 2006 11:20 PM CDT
Committee discusses engineer position
By DAVE FOPAY, Staff Writer
dfopay@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON -- Coles County officials have set an Aug. 18 deadline for applications to be the county’s new engineer, but when someone will be hired hasn’t been set yet.
At a meeting Monday of the County Board’s Road and Bridge Committee, members agreed on the deadline and voted to place advertisements announcing the vacancy.
Also Monday, committee Chairman Shane Rogers said he wanted to look for ways to improve communication between the committee, the county Highway Department and the County Board, especially with a new engineer starting soon.
“It’s my goal to kind of have an ongoing discussion,” Rogers said.
The committee is looking for a new engineer because of former Engineer Fred Sherer’s retirement June 30. Earlier, the committee decided to have Doug McDermand, executive director of the Coles County Regional Planning and Development Commission, help it through the selection process.
McDermand told the committee Monday four applications for the job have already been submitted. The committee agreed to meet again on Aug. 22 to take its first look at the applications.
McDermand also reviewed the requirements for hiring a county engineer that state law outlines, including submitting the name of no more than five candidates to the Illinois Department of Transportation within 100 days of when a vacancy occurs. IDOT then reviews the applications and informs the county how many are qualified to be considered, he explained.
The committee could forward the applications to IDOT on Aug. 28, the date of its next regular meeting, McDermand also said, but it would then be in the state department’s hands as to how long the review process would take. The committee also discussed ways it could keep other County Board members who aren’t on the committee informed of how the process is going, as the full board has to ultimately vote on the hiring.
Steve Newlin, a technician with the Highway Department, is serving as interim engineer though he hasn’t officially been appointed to the position yet.
The County Board had been scheduled to vote on the appointment at its meeting July 11, but took no action because, according to some members, the Road and Bridge Committee hadn’t provided information the salary Newlin would receive. At a meeting last week, the committee voted to recommend to the board that Newlin receive $150 more a month for handling the additional duties.
Ideas the committee discussed Monday on improving communications included an “open house” of the Highway Department, a tour of ongoing construction projects and supplying information on department procedures and funding sources.
Contact Dave Fopay at dfopay@jg-tc.com or 348-5733.
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