Commissioners appoint 2021 department heads

Friday, January 22, 2021

Having already served for three weeks of 2021, fourteen Putnam County employees were formally reappointed to their positions by the Putnam County Commissioners Tuesday morning.

Among non-elected department heads and other employees directly appointed by the commissioners, the only new person to his role is Dave Costin, who now serves as emergency management director in addition to being 911 director.

A question arose during the process whether Costin could fulfill both roles, but he has served for several years as deputy director under Tom Helmer, who had to step away when he was elected as commissioner.

Helmer made the motion to appoint Costin to the EMA role, with a second from David Berry. Rick Woodall made the vote unanimous, though he subsequently dissented in the 2-1 vote to reappoint Costin as 911 director.

Other appointments, the rest of which received unanimous approval, included Lisa Zeiner as Plan Commission director, Tom Gilson as maintenance supervisor, Brian Smith as head courthouse custodian, Michael Phillips as courthouse custodian, Michael Aultiman as part-time custodian, David Heavin as Veterans Affairs officer, Mike Ricketts as highway supervisor, Robin Hughes as highway administrative assistant, Brenda Turner as highway secretary, David Wilborn as weights and measures inspector, Robbie Cudnik as GIS director, Kelly Russ as EMS director and Jim Ensley as county attorney.

The Commissioners also made three appointments to local boards: Brandy Muse to the Roachdale Public Library Board, George Schneider to the Board of Health (replacing Helmer) and Doug Wokoun to the Greencastle Plan Commission.

Wayne Lewis had previously been appointed to the city’s commission, as one of two county appointments who have to reside within the two-mile fringe of the city. However, Lewis no longer qualifies as a county appointee, as he has moved within city limits.

Wokoun, a resident of the Edgelea subdivision and already a member of the city Board of Zoning Appeals, was chosen as his replacement.

Emily Knuth is the other county appointee to the commission.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Approved the transfer of a 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department to the Russellville Police Department.

• Renewed the county’s firewall license with John Hendrich of HOP Telecom.

The issue was last addressed three years ago, and the $7,796 payment addresses renewing software licenses.

The matter was approved 3-0.

• Heard from Ricketts that the highway department plans to apply for a Community Crossings grant to complete work on four roads begun in 2020 utilizing the same program.

The roads in question include Bainbridge-Roachdale Road, West Walnut Street Road, Lonestar Road and Broad Park Road.

• Approved an amended contract for right-of-way on Bridge 276 (Saddle Club Road over CSX Railroad), purchasing the needed property for $15,356.

Ricketts also told them letting on the project had been pushed back to October.

“You can thank CSX and all the hoops you gotta jump through,” Ricketts said.

• Learned that Bridge 45 on the Putnam-Hendricks county line south of State Road 236 in Jackson Township remains closed until calculations on its weight limit are complete.

The weight limit had been set at 12 tons before it was closed for repairs, and Ricketts would like to see it no higher than that, regardless of what inspectors tell them.

“It was built in 1920. It’s 100 years old,” Ricketts said.

The commissioners advised Ricketts to await word from the inspector and then reopen the bridge at a limit no higher than 12 tons.

• Received a request from Thomas Rising to chip and seal the section of County Road 275 East on which he resides in Greencastle Township.

Rising said he and wife Nana are willing to pay 50 percent of the $20,000 price tag for the project. While other neighbors will also be affected, he has not asked them for funding.

“I don’t want to have to count on the neighbors. I’m doing it basically for my health and my personal project,” Rising said, explaining that dust has serious affects on him due to a cardiovascular condition.

However, his wife added that at least one other neighbor might help due to the number of car repairs they’ve had to make due to the condition of the gravel.

Woodall told the Risings that he and Ricketts would look over the figures and be in contact with them.

While the county is not commonly in the practice of paving gravel roads, similar arrangements have previously been made with residents willing to foot a significant portion of the bill.

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  • I've known Dave Costin for 50 years - you won't find a smarter guy; he can easily handle both positions.

    -- Posted by unbiased on Fri, Jan 22, 2021, at 3:50 PM
  • The question isn’t handle, it’s whether it violates the prohibition on holding two lucrative positions contained in the state constitution...

    -- Posted by The Crusty Curmudgeon on Fri, Jan 22, 2021, at 8:36 PM
  • Putnam County has allowed two lucrative positions being held simultaneously in the recent past (commissioner, deputy auditor). But I agree Dave Costin is the best you could find.

    -- Posted by Ben Dover on Sat, Jan 23, 2021, at 9:45 AM
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