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 acting
under IC 36-1-7, may employ a full-time county highway engineer
who is responsible for supervising the design, construction, planning,
traffic, and other engineering functions of the county highway
department under the direction of the county executive. The engineer
shall prepare all required surveys, estimates, plans, and
specifications.
(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 registered
engineer, licensed by the state board of registration for professional
engineers, experienced in highway engineering and construction and
a resident of Indiana during the engineer's employment.
(Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.2; Acts 1971, P.L.104, SEC.1.) As
amended 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Repealed
(Repealed by P.L.86-1988, SEC.227.)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 fixed
by the county executive and shall be allowed actual traveling and
other expenses incurred in the discharge of duties. The salary and
expenses shall be paid out of county general funds, the county
distribution of motor vehicle highway account funds, or both, and the
county highway engineer fund. The county executive shall provide
all facilities, equipment, and personnel required by the county
highway 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 the
direction of the county executive and shall, under IC 5-4-1, give bond
for the faithful performance of the engineer's duties. The county
highway engineer may not enter into agreements to provide
engineering services for pay to other local governmental units.
However, an engineer may enter into contracts to provide
engineering services for pay with the county executives of any two
(2) or more counties, acting jointly. The county highway engineer
may perform, at the direction of the executive, highway engineering
work 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 policies
of the county executive, perform the following functions:
(1) Prepare and publish a county-wide inventory and
classification of the county highway system so that the total
county federal aid secondary system is included in the county
primary or arterial system of roads.
(2) Prepare and keep a perpetual inventory of all bridges and
culverts serving the county highway system. The inventory must
show the location, dimensions, condition, and the year of
construction for all bridges and major culverts.
(3) Prepare and publish standards of design, construction, and
maintenance of the county arterial, feeder, and local roads that
make the best and most economical use of local road materials.
(4) Prepare a long-range county-wide program of road and
bridge construction and improvements, with the proposed
projects arranged in order of priority. The program of proposed
projects must cover a period of at least four (4) years.
(5) Investigate requests and petitions for road or bridge
improvements that are received either by the county executive
or at public hearings, and make recommendations to the county
executive.
(6) Prepare surveys, designs, plans, and specifications for all
county road and bridge construction projects, prepare contracts,
and advertise for bids.
(7) Make construction and materials inspection of all county
road and bridge construction projects, inform the executive of
the status of construction work, and certify completed
construction projects.
(8) Develop a county-wide program of traffic safety that
provides for traffic control signs, signals, and speed limits,
warning protection at railroad crossings, load limits, and detour
routings.
(9) Inspect and approve the construction of subdivision streets
that are to be taken into the county highway system, and
recommend appropriate action to the executive when roads and
streets in subdivisions are being taken into the county highway
system.
(10) Prepare engineering estimates and make recommendations
to the executive concerning the materials and equipment needed
in the annual budgeting of both construction and maintenance
funds.
(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 county
highway supervisor
Sec. 7. County highway engineers employed under this chapter
shall perform the duties of the office of county highway supervisor
relating 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 of
the April distribution of the motor vehicle highway account, nine
hundred twenty thousand dollars ($920,000) to be held by the auditor
of state in a special account known as the county highway engineer
fund. The fund must be used exclusively in assisting the counties in
the 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 county
highway engineer shall annually certify that employment to the
auditor of state. The certification must show the name and address of
the county highway engineer and the serial number of the engineer's
certificate of registration issued by the state board of registration for
professional 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 county
auditor, the auditor of state shall distribute from the county highway
engineer fund to each county a grant-in-aid subsidy of twenty
thousand dollars ($20,000) that is to be applied toward the engineer's
annual salary. If the county highway engineer is employed by two (2)
counties acting jointly, the amount distributed to each county is ten
thousand dollars ($10,000).
(Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.10; Acts 1971, P.L.104, SEC.2.) As
amended 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 at
the end of each calendar year shall be returned to the counties' share
of the motor vehicle highway account to be distributed in January of
the 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 the
office or employment of county highway supervisors; provided, that
the respective boards of county commissioners may provide for the
county highway engineer to serve also as the county highway
supervisor.
(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 by
county highway engineer; divisions
Sec. 13. (a) This section applies to each county that employs a
full-time county highway engineer under this chapter.
(b) A county engineering department may be established by
ordinance.
(c) The county highway engineer shall, under the direction of the
county executive, supervise the work of the department. The
department may be organized into divisions. The divisions may
perform county engineering services approved by the county
executive.
As added by Acts 1981, P.L.11, SEC.62.