To ease a potential tax burden, the Hempfield supervisors Monday night combined two township administrative positions and extended the contract of public works director Mike Volpe.

Effective Jan. 1, assistant manager Bruce Bietel also will serve in the newly created position of public safety director at a combined salary of $52,500. He will receive raises of about 2 and 2.5 percent over the life of the four-year contract to $56,262 in 2014.

Mr. Volpe's four-year contract extension, also effective Jan. 1, includes the same percentage of salary increases. His salary will go from $68,000 to about $69,700 next year, and to $74,300 in 2014. He was hired by Hempfield in 2003.

"The supervisors feel the severe storms, flooding, traffic issues and other emergencies during the past year justified a need for coordination of emergency services," said Manager Kurt Ferguson. "Instead of hiring somebody at likely a substantial annual salary, the board felt a dual position with adjusted compensation will better benefit taxpayers."

Mr. Bietel, who assisted Mr. Ferguson when he was manager of Edgewood, was hired as Hempfield assistant manager in 2009 at a $38,000 annual salary. That amount was increased to $45,000 in January.

A member of the North Hempfield Volunteer Fire Company, Mr. Bietel is a certified as a Fire Fighter One and as a fire inspector, according to Mr. Ferguson. He currently is working toward a master's degree in public administration at the University of Pittsburgh in Greensburg.

According to Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Bietel, as public safety director, will be in charge of expenditures, seeking federal and state funding that may become available during emergencies, coordinating with callouts of emergency personnel, fire and ambulance service, addressing severe weather events and overseeing the Hempfield Emergency Management Association.

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