City employees receive bonuses
GREENCASTLE -- City employees are receiving a reward for their efforts to keep Greencastle's budget in check over the last year.
The Greencastle Common Council voted Tuesday to give a bonus of $550 to full-time employees and $275 to part-time employees. The bonus goes to those who have been employed since Jan. 1 and does not apply to elected or appointed officials.
"When you can't give them a salary increase and they have worked very hard to do the things they have done all year to keep overtime under control and worked smarter without rehiring, it was something everybody felt good about being able to do for our employees," Mayor Sue Murray said.
The mayor said the ability to give the bonuses stems from the money-saving measures all city employees have been a part of over the course of 2010.
"We found as we got to the end of the year because we hadn't been rehiring positions, we hadn't used overtime and we made adjustments in what we had allocated for our health insurances, that there was money left in the salary services area of each of the budgets," Murray said. "I asked the council to consider giving employees who have been with us since Jan. 1 a one-time salary addition."
The council also updated the zoning ordinance regarding signs. Church signage had previously been regarded as a special exception usage, which meant any church signage had to go before the city to be accepted. Church signs are now considered an acceptable use.
The ordinance also has updated language regarded signs with moving or changing pictures. Besides time and temperature signs, these remain prohibited.
The council also approved some resolutions as the end of the budget year approaches.
Transfers of appropriations included:
* $1,000 in the common council budget from copier rental to office supplies
* $6,100 in the board of works budget from electric to disability insurance
* $2,500 in parks and recreation from part time salaries to repair
* $2,500 in parks and recreation from part time salaries to sales tax
They also approved the following encumbrances:
* $3,030 for vehicle repairs in the police budget
* $6,500 for the installation of a generator in the police budget
* $3,100 for sidewalks in cumulative capital development
* $507.20 for education and training in the city attorney budget
The city has also been asked by the state to look at a 12.7 percent decrease in EDIT money, so the council approved a change to the fund