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News
News
By Peter Nocerini
Special to the Reporter
IRON RIVER—Faced with a long list of upcoming or potential personnel moves, the Iron County Road Commission made its biggest decision during its Aug. 8 regular meeting.
Commissioners selected Brad Toivonen as the Road Commission’s new superintendent. He will take over the job now held by Doug Tomasoski, who plans to retire next summer.
Until then, Toivonen will work with Tomasoski during a transition period. Right now, Tomasoski is doing superintendent-manager work, and Toivonen is a construction foreman and civil tech. Between now and next July, Tomasoski will gradually transfer his duties to Toivonen, who will also be training his successor.
Tomasoski became superintendent and manager of the commission in January 1995 and added engineer responsibilities in 1998. He told commissioners that the transition should be about halfway done by the start of 2023 and completed by next summer.
“Backfilling” is what Tomasoski calls the transition and training process with Toivonen. One of the most immediate matters on the commission’s agenda now is selecting someone to take over Toivonen’s present job.
“Basically, to see what’s out there,” Tomasoski told commissioners. The right person, he said, doesn’t have to be a professional engineer or have a bachelor’s degree. More important, he said, is finding someone with a background in documenting projects with the Michigan Department of Transportation.
If the person chosen is not a professional engineer, he said, the commission may want to hire consultants, as Delta County did for years.
“Brad has been here nearly as long as I have,” Tomasoski told the commission of his successor — Toivonen joined the Road Commission in September 2000 as a civil technician.
“He’s done a good portion of the things that I do,” Tomasoki continued. “We have interchanged on things over the years. So the transition for me, sharing my knowledge with him, might be easier” than Toivonen will face in sharing his knowledge with and teaching a new hire.
Right now, Toivonen is preparing a detailed list of his duties. Commissioners plan to quickly prepare a job description so they can advertise the opening.
The commission approved Toivonen for the superintendent position by a unanimous vote. He will remain an hourly employee until the end of December, when he becomes a salaried supervisory employee. The commission still needs to decide his wages at the new job.
There have been other changes, too. Michelle Johnson became the commission’s financial director effective July 25, taking the position that had been held by Lisa Powell, who left to take another position earlier this year. Johnson previously had worked in the county treasurer’s office.
Commissioners also passed a motion making Johnson an authorized signatory for Road Commission payments.
Sandy Lindholm, retired financial director of the Dickinson County Road Commission, helped with the transition and introduced several budget amendments. She described different procedures that will help Johnson track the commission’s various budgets better and faster.
Attending the meeting was Rick Rogers, who is retiring as Crystal Falls foreman, and Rob Johnson, who is the new interim foreman at Crystal Falls. Rogers’ last day on the job will be Sept. 1, though he has unused leave time after that.
“We are very lucky to have had him here,” Tomasoski said.
At a special meeting held July 20, the commission discussed several other personnel openings and decided to:
• Hire at least five heavy equipment operators. Applications were due Aug. 9.
• Hire an engineer, with the job description to be determined.
• Hire a mechanic and mechanic aide with a commercial driver’s license.