CONNEAUT — The growing number of complex economic development projects more than justifies pay hikes recently approved for Conneaut Port Authority members, said Denver Spieldenner, chairman of the group.
“We have a very active board that’s involved in many different issues,” Spieldenner said.
In December, the port authority approved increases in compensation for members and employees. According to meeting minutes, the board:
n Increased the pay of the chairman position, from $3,600 to $8,200 annually;
n Agreed to remunerate the vice-chairman position $4,000 annually;
n Increased treasurer pay from $4,100 to $8,200 annually;
n Doubled the base pay for members, from $1,200 to $2,400 annually;
n Gave the office a $1.25 hourly wage increase;
n Authorized a 50-cent hourly increase for other hourly employees; and
n Increased the port manager’s salary to $14,307 and will reimburse the manager $8,222 for 2010 health insurance.
Members receive no health insurance, Spieldenner said.
A compensation increase was “long overdue,” Spieldenner said. Many years have passed since the last raises were issued, yet the jobs have become more difficult and time-consuming, he said. Members put in many hours and incur out-of-pocket expenses to handle the city’s waterfront and development work, he said. Members routinely log more than 20 hours a week on port authority business, Spieldenner said.
“We put in a ton of hours, and drive uncompensated miles, on economic issues,” he said. “We’re running a multimillion dollar business.
“When we set our compensation, we tried to pick a number that is just,” he said.
Members are not provided health insurance, Spieldenner said.
For the past several months, the port authority has kept busy on a project they hope will revive the Port of Conneaut. The project has involved many meetings with government officials and representatives of CN, owners of the Pittsburgh and Conneaut Dock Co.
The group also is working and meeting on a variety of grant programs that would finance a handful of recreational and commercial waterfront projects.
Earlier this month, port authority member Eric Nesbitt was honored for his role in bringing to Conneaut the Colorado company that recently erected two massive wind turbines, one at the lakefront.
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