County attorney plans to hire part-time employee

The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors this morning authorized the county attorney to hire a part-time employee for his office.

Late last year, Dille hired a part-time employee to go after unpaid state fines. She was able to successfully collect $97,000, from which the county received $24,000.

Dille had budgeted to make the position full time at the start of the fiscal year, but his employee isn?t interested in expanding the position, and Dille does not want to re-train anyone to complete the work. Training takes three to four months, he said.

Instead, Dille would like to hire an additional part-time employee to help out with filing, answering phones and scanning documents in preparation for the state?s switch to all electronic court records.

In other business, the board approved the public health office?s employment of Laura Van Zee as a part-time home care aide. Public health director Chris Estle-Tedrow said Van Zee is being hired to replace another employee ? a new position is not being created.

The board accepted Regional Utility Service Systems? request to upgrade 110th Street from dirt to gravel to provide access to a lagoon for the Pleasant Plain/East Pleasant Plain sewer project. Supervisor Steve Burgmeier said RUSS will pay for the rock, and the county road department will complete the work.

The board transferred $1 million from the county?s rural basic fund to the secondary road department.

Supervisor Lee Dimmitt reported attorneys representing 10-15 Transit and Ottumwa Transit Authority are meeting with the Iowa Department of Transportation in Des Moines today.

He?s hoping for a positive outcome regarding a new contract for service and the amount of money the IDOT contends 10-15 should repay because of inflated ridership figures. However, he said the IDOT has again changed the amounts in question and is now requesting 39 cents per gallon of fuel be reimbursed for 2005-2006.

10-15 and OTA drivers were notified of possible layoffs at the end of the month, and the city of Ottumwa has agreed to cover any shortfalls in funding for the month of July, Dimmitt said, estimating the shortfall at $30,000-$50,000.

?We cannot go another month,? he said.

Dimmitt also reported Lee County had moved to withdraw from 10-15 Transit, but because of the 28E Agreement must remain part of the group for another year.