Carrollton gives stipend to water plant employees

By Editor | May 26, 2026 |

By Carmen Ensinger

Now that the City of Carrollton has a new water plant that is fully automated, there is no need for there to be personnel at the plant 24/7, especially overnight.
However, there is the need for someone to be on-call should there be an emergency. Currently, the city pays the Public Works Director, Police Chief and Sewer Plant Operator a $30 per pay period stipend for using their phones when they are on call.
Public Works Director Steve Rosentreter asked the Carrollton City Council to extend that same $30 per pay period stipend to the two water plant employees who are now on-call for the water plant at the May 14 city council meeting.
“They receive notifications, on their phone, should something go wrong at the water plant,” Rosentreter said. “And most of the time they can fix that problem from their phone. They can change set points, they can kick pumps on and off and they are already doing it now and like I said it is only fair they receive the stipend as well.”
The council agreed and approved the $30 per pay period stipend.
Rosentreter had another request – this time for a new zero turn lawn mower he would like to purchase from Lamb’s in Greenfield. He had discussed it briefly at last month’s council meeting.
“We have the money in the Replacement Fund and I’d like to purchase a new lawn mower for the city,” he said. “We would use it for the city, water plant, city parks and the sewer plant.”
Rosentreter said they had an old one they had at the water plant they were going to sell at a surplus.
“We take these mowers to the wells, to the booster stations, we mow out at the water plant and do all the parks,” he said. “So it will not hurt us to have another mower.”
The city approved the purchase of the mower from Lamb’s at a cost of $15,370 to come out of the Equipment Replacement Fund.
Rosentreter also said that his department was in need of a tablet.
“JULIE has changed their rules beginning at the start of this year,” he said. “Used to be we could go out and mark everything with a white or blue line, say if you have a water line and everything would be good. Now, you have to call JULIE and tell them if your sewer is clean or if it’s clear and tell them if your water lines are clear or marked and you have got to do it within 24 hours. And if it’s an emergency you’ve got to do it within two hours and if not you can get wrote out and they will fine us down the road.”
Rosentreter didn’t have a cost, but the council agreed to purchase one for the department.
Last month, the council accepted the resignation of Officer Aaron Mehroff, effective May 5. Mehroff addressed the council and thanked them for letting him be a part of the police force.
“It has been a wonderful place to work for the past 13 years,” he said. “And I just want to say thank you…it has been one of the best places to work. Thank you for treating my family as wonderfully as you have.”
Mehrhoff retired with 35 years of law enforcement under his belt.
Following a brief closed session, the council approved the hiring of Taylor Scott as a new officer on the Carrollton Police Force, retroactive to May 10.