Black River Falls Municipal Utilities Manager Jerry Ewert has declined his $5,000 salary increase for 2010, which he said he turned down in an effort to save money on legal and engineering services for the dam and hydroelectric project.

Ewert explained at Monday’s utility commission meeting that he began contract negotiations with the utility’s legal services and engineering services firms prior to the commission’s December meeting where 2010 salary increases were approved for the utility’s salaried employees.

Those negotiations, he said, took place on the premise that his salary could possibly remain flat in 2010. After the utility commission approved the increases on a 4-1 vote at the December meeting, Ewert said he declined his by asking the utility’s payroll not to include it on his paychecks. He said he continued negotiations, after which the legal firm agreed to hold its fees flat for 2010.

The engineering firm agreed to only a small percentage increase at the end of 2009 but agreed to hold those rates flat for the duration of the project, which is slated to last into 2011.

“I thought it was more important to secure flat fees for the duration of the (dam and hydro) project and the best interests of the utility than it was to have to go back and say, ‘Hey, I got an adjustment. This is off.’ That’s why I didn’t accept it,” Ewert said.
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