CHAPTER 5. COUNTY HIGHWAY ENGINEERS
IC 8-17-5
Chapter 5. County Highway Engineers
IC 8-17-5-1
Authority to employ county highway engineer
Sec. 1. A county executive, or any two (2) or more counties actingunder IC 36-1-7, may employ a full-time county highway engineerwho is responsible for supervising the design, construction, planning,traffic, and other engineering functions of the county highwaydepartment under the direction of the county executive. The engineershall prepare all required surveys, estimates, plans, andspecifications.
(Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.1.) As amended by Acts 1981, P.L.11,SEC.61; P.L.86-1988, SEC.123.
IC 8-17-5-2
Qualifications of county highway engineer
Sec. 2. The county highway engineer must be a registeredengineer, licensed by the state board of registration for professionalengineers, experienced in highway engineering and construction anda resident of Indiana during the engineer's employment.
(Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.2; Acts 1971, P.L.104, SEC.1.) Asamended by P.L.86-1988, SEC.124.
IC 8-17-5-3
Repealed
(Repealed by P.L.86-1988, SEC.227.)
IC 8-17-5-4
Compensation
Sec. 4. The county highway engineer is entitled to a salary fixedby the county executive and shall be allowed actual traveling andother expenses incurred in the discharge of duties. The salary andexpenses shall be paid out of county general funds, the countydistribution of motor vehicle highway account funds, or both, and thecounty highway engineer fund. The county executive shall provideall facilities, equipment, and personnel required by the countyhighway engineer in the discharge of the engineer's duties.
(Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.4.) As amended by P.L.86-1988,SEC.125.
IC 8-17-5-5
Bond; power to negotiate contracts
Sec. 5. The county highway engineer shall work under thedirection of the county executive and shall, under IC 5-4-1, give bondfor the faithful performance of the engineer's duties. The countyhighway engineer may not enter into agreements to provideengineering services for pay to other local governmental units.However, an engineer may enter into contracts to provideengineering services for pay with the county executives of any two
(2) or more counties, acting jointly. The county highway engineermay perform, at the direction of the executive, highway engineeringwork for municipalities within the county.
(Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.5.) As amended by Acts 1981, P.L.47,SEC.11; P.L.86-1988, SEC.126.
IC 8-17-5-6
Powers
Sec. 6. The county highway engineer shall, subject to the policiesof the county executive, perform the following functions:
(1) Prepare and publish a county-wide inventory andclassification of the county highway system so that the totalcounty federal aid secondary system is included in the countyprimary or arterial system of roads.
(2) Prepare and keep a perpetual inventory of all bridges andculverts serving the county highway system. The inventory mustshow the location, dimensions, condition, and the year ofconstruction for all bridges and major culverts.
(3) Prepare and publish standards of design, construction, andmaintenance of the county arterial, feeder, and local roads thatmake the best and most economical use of local road materials.
(4) Prepare a long-range county-wide program of road andbridge construction and improvements, with the proposedprojects arranged in order of priority. The program of proposedprojects must cover a period of at least four (4) years.
(5) Investigate requests and petitions for road or bridgeimprovements that are received either by the county executiveor at public hearings, and make recommendations to the countyexecutive.
(6) Prepare surveys, designs, plans, and specifications for allcounty road and bridge construction projects, prepare contracts,and advertise for bids.
(7) Make construction and materials inspection of all countyroad and bridge construction projects, inform the executive ofthe status of construction work, and certify completedconstruction projects.
(8) Develop a county-wide program of traffic safety thatprovides for traffic control signs, signals, and speed limits,warning protection at railroad crossings, load limits, and detourroutings.
(9) Inspect and approve the construction of subdivision streetsthat are to be taken into the county highway system, andrecommend appropriate action to the executive when roads andstreets in subdivisions are being taken into the county highwaysystem.
(10) Prepare engineering estimates and make recommendationsto the executive concerning the materials and equipment neededin the annual budgeting of both construction and maintenancefunds.
(Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.6.) As amended by P.L.86-1988,
SEC.127.
IC 8-17-5-7
County highway engineers to perform duties of office of countyhighway supervisor
Sec. 7. County highway engineers employed under this chaptershall perform the duties of the office of county highway supervisorrelating to roads and bridges.
(Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.7.) As amended by P.L.66-1984,SEC.99; P.L.86-1988, SEC.128.
IC 8-17-5-8
County highway engineer fund
Sec. 8. There is annually appropriated from the counties' share ofthe April distribution of the motor vehicle highway account, ninehundred twenty thousand dollars ($920,000) to be held by the auditorof state in a special account known as the county highway engineerfund. The fund must be used exclusively in assisting the counties inthe employment of a full-time county highway engineer.
(Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.8.) As amended by Acts 1980, P.L.77,SEC.1; P.L.86-1988, SEC.129.
IC 8-17-5-9
Certification of employment
Sec. 9. The auditor of counties that employ a full-time countyhighway engineer shall annually certify that employment to theauditor of state. The certification must show the name and address ofthe county highway engineer and the serial number of the engineer'scertificate of registration issued by the state board of registration forprofessional engineers.
(Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.9.) As amended by P.L.66-1984,SEC.100; P.L.86-1988, SEC.130; P.L.23-1991, SEC.3.
IC 8-17-5-10
Grant-in-aid subsidy
Sec. 10. Upon receipt of the annual certification from the countyauditor, the auditor of state shall distribute from the county highwayengineer fund to each county a grant-in-aid subsidy of twentythousand dollars ($20,000) that is to be applied toward the engineer'sannual salary. If the county highway engineer is employed by two (2)counties acting jointly, the amount distributed to each county is tenthousand dollars ($10,000).
(Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.10; Acts 1971, P.L.104, SEC.2.) Asamended by Acts 1980, P.L.77, SEC.2; P.L.86-1988, SEC.131.
IC 8-17-5-11
(Repealed by Acts 1981, P.L.41, SEC.72(b).)
IC 8-17-5-11.1
County highway engineers' fund; unused balances; disposition Sec. 11.1. Any balance in the county highway engineers' fund atthe end of each calendar year shall be returned to the counties' shareof the motor vehicle highway account to be distributed in January ofthe following year.
As added by Acts 1981, P.L.41, SEC.58.
IC 8-17-5-12
Construction of chapter
Sec. 12. This chapter shall not be construed as abolishing theoffice or employment of county highway supervisors; provided, thatthe respective boards of county commissioners may provide for thecounty highway engineer to serve also as the county highwaysupervisor.
(Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.12.) As amended by P.L.66-1984,SEC.101.
IC 8-17-5-13
County engineering department; establishment; supervision bycounty highway engineer; divisions
Sec. 13. (a) This section applies to each county that employs afull-time county highway engineer under this chapter.
(b) A county engineering department may be established byordinance.
(c) The county highway engineer shall, under the direction of thecounty executive, supervise the work of the department. Thedepartment may be organized into divisions. The divisions mayperform county engineering services approved by the countyexecutive.
As added by Acts 1981, P.L.11, SEC.62.