Mears named employee of the month

Commissioners okay contract to inspect small road structures

Howard County Sheriff’s Department medical employee Tami Mears has been doing things right as of late. That earned her employee of the month honors from the Howard County Commissioners last week.

Commissioners Brad Bray (left) and Jack Dodd (right) congratulate Tami Mears for being named employee of the month

Mears was honored at the Jan. 18 commissioners’ meeting. Commissioner Jack Dodd read her nomination into the record.

“The attention this employee gives to medical department tasks is incredible. I am amazed at her organization and what she is willing and capable of doing. She keeps everything organized and running smoothly in our department. She has put in extra hours with no complaint just to make sure the department did not fall behind.”

The nomination, submitted by Howard County Sheriff Jerry Asher, went on to explain how Mears stepped up her efforts as her workload increased with a 24-hour nursing schedule. He asserted that Mears makes her fellow employees better through her efforts.

“She has gone out of her way to make sure new staff has everything they need to get their job done. She deserves to be recognized for her hard work. She is loyal to the sheriff’s department and is passionate about her position. Her position has turned into much more than medical records and security.”

Inspections contract

The commissioners also authorized a contract between the Howard County Highway Department and Lochmueller and Associates to conduct inspections of 75 small road structures throughout the county.

According to highway superintendent Amber Tolle, Lochmueller will analyze the small structures, which include anything larger than a culvert and smaller than a bridge, then log the information into the county’s Geographic Information System (GIS) and create a schedule of repair and maintenance.

“This is something that we have not given as much priority to as I think we need to,” said Tolle. “There are a lot of small structures in the county we have not analyzed. If we had a catastrophic incident, it could be pretty substantial.”

Tolle explained that the county’s civil engineer has taken photos of each structure in advance of the study and found not pressing issues that require immediate attention.

“But there are some that are have concerns for the future,” Tolle said.

The contract with Lochmueller was approved for $87,200, which will be paid from the highway departments cumulative bridge fund.

In other commissioners news:

·       The highway department submitted its Community Crossings matching grant commitment letter. This letter confirmed that the county will devote $1 million in matching funds for a grant to resurface roads.

·       The Howard County Sheriff’s Department intends to pursue a matching grant through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security for officer body cameras. If awarded, the grant would cover up $400 of the cost for each individual body camera.

·       The commissioners approved a contract with Pioneer Restoration in the amount of $97,900 to perform tuck pointing and other maintenance on the Jeff Stout Government Building.

·       Commissioner Jack Dodd was elected chair of the commissioners’ finance committee.