In the last meeting of 2011 the Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners approved pay increases for elected officials for 2012. The board also approved salaries for its own members to be $2,000 annually, plus per diem and mileage, while the chairman’s salary will be $2,500 plus per diem and mileage. The per diem rate is $80 for a full day, $40 for a half day and $20 for a quarter day.

Salaries for elected officials are as follows: prosecuting attorney is $87,100; sheriff $53,600; clerk $48,100; register of deeds $44,600 and treasurer $41,750. Increased wages for the five officials total $2,400. Not calling it a “bonus” several nonelected positions will receive compensation “in addition to their base wage,” as stated in the motion. The building official, undersheriff and assistant prosecutor will receive and additional $600 split up in two installments. The equalization director will receive an additional $480, split in two payments in June and December.

Wages for the appointed officials and nonelected department heads were set with the head custodian’s wage at $16.65 per hour, the equalization director paid at the rate of $22.25 per hour, the building official at $18.60 per hour, the undersheriff’s salary at $49,500 per year, the court administrator/assistant magistrate at $36,000 per year and the assistant prosecutor at $48,500 per year.

Earlier in the meeting, Judge Maria Barton asked the board to approve her plan to fill an opening in her office. With the retirement of magistrate Keith Gordon, Barton has tapped Kristy Hardies to fill the administrative role and Lori Wirgau will be appointed the head magistrate. That leaves an opening for Hardies position. Hardies will make $36,000 while Wirgau will be paid an hourly wage of $16.52 per hour.

IN OTHER board matters: --Wayne Vermilya presented a summary of recent information on area landfills and the county recycling program. “We are actually exporting more waste from our county to other counties, than we are disposing of here,” he said. “The landfill, from any account over the last 20 years has been a horrific mistake. It is a catastrophe and the long-term environmental consequences are yet to be seen or felt or dealt with. But the dump has been a big mistake. Our taxpayers in our county are being ripped off by Emmet County and their recycling program.”

--Mary Schalk, representing the county 4-H program, earned board approval to pursue a garden project on the grounds of the former Nowicki property. The community garden would be laid out on the east side of the alley and be run by 4-H. Seeing no plans for that 60-by-20-foot piece of ground, Schalk said this would be a great place to teach children about life skills while raising a garden.

Presque Isle County purchased the former sausage shop in early 2008 along with two other parcels on East Huron Avenue for $210,000. Renovations continue on the former sausage shop. The floor plan features a main entrance complete with a lobby containing bathrooms and seating. Straight ahead would sit the building and zoning office with the health department to the left and Michigan State University extension to the right. The project budget at that time was set at $282,100. That includes $238,300 for the construction as well as retaining a construction manager at a cost off $43,800. The 4-H garden would require no additional funding from the county.