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Commissioners approve new highway laborer post to seed in-house CDL pipeline
Summary
Noble County commissioners approved a salary-ordinance amendment creating a new highway laborer line to recruit and train entry workers as future CDL drivers, citing staffing shortages and available funds from vacant CDL positions. The measure passed by recorded vote (5–1).
Noble County commissioners on Wednesday approved an amendment to the county salary ordinance that creates a full-time highway laborer position intended as a training pipeline to develop future Class A CDL drivers.
Zach, the highway department lead, told the board the department has been operating with vacancies and several drivers who carry automatic-only restrictions. “So what I’m essentially asking for today is salary ordinance approval so that we can hire labor, get them started,” he said, describing a plan to recruit entry-level laborers, train them in-house and promote them to driver openings as they qualify. He said the county has budgeted funds from current vacancies and can transfer money within the highway budget to pay the position for the remainder of this year.
Commissioners debated retention options, including whether to require a repayment contract for training, and the trade-offs between raising wages versus adding positions. Members asked for clarity on pay rates and budget mechanics; meeting materials listed a proposed labor pay line and figures that the department said were sufficient to start hiring immediately. The amendment passed on a recorded vote the board described in the meeting as 5–1. Zach said he will begin the administrative hiring steps and run the training plan if funds are available.
Why it matters: County highways rely on a small pool of CDL-qualified drivers during winter and for maintenance cycles; commissioners said a local training pipeline could reduce reliance on expensive contractors or emergency overtime. The laborer position provides an option to build internal capacity rather than outsource more work.
Next steps: The department will proceed with payroll setup and candidate onboarding under the new salary line and return to the commissioners if additional transfers are required.
