The Linn County Board of Commissioners has decided to increase the salary of one of its longtime employees, despite poor economic conditions.

Roadmaster Darrin Lane will receive $95,844 -up from his previous yearly wage of $91,380.

"The bottom line is that Darrin has done a heck of a job stretching his organization to run with substantially fewer employees," said Board Chairman Roger Nyquist. "He met all the other goals and objectives of his previous evaluations."

Nyquist said Lane was overdue for a pay increase.

"It is warranted," Nyquist said. "We've been in tough economic times for a while. It has come up in the past several years during his evaluation and we passed on it."

The issue was discussed during Lane's recent review, Nyquist said. But the action had to be taken in a public meeting.

The group has committed to a hiring freeze, but not to eliminating pay increases for employees.

In other county business this week the board approved:

• A disinterment of remains, after it received confirmations of agreement from family members.

• A resolution and order adopting an amendment to a contract between Linn County and Trillium Family Services, Inc.

• A resolution and order adopting an intergovernmental agreement between Linn County and the Oregon Department of Human Services for financing of public health services

• A resolution and order adopting an IGA between Linn County and the Oregon Department of Human Services for the financing of public hearing services

• Resolutions adopting personal services contracts between Linn County and Bazil Freedman, M.D., for child psychiatric consultations; Jerome C. Vergamini, M.D. for child psychiatric consultations; and Janet Eggers, P.M.H.N.P, for psychiatric nurse practitioner services.

• A resolution and order approving the Linn County 2009-10 Public Health Plan with the Oregon Department of Human Services.

• A resolution and order accepting and recording real property granted to Linn County for road purposes (Courtney Creek Drive).

• A resolution and order accepting and recording real property granted to Linn County for road purposes (Scravel Hill Road).

• A resolution appointing Rebecca Williams and Sean Larsen to the Region 4 Workforce Investment Board.