CROWN POINT | City Council members favored Mayor David Uran's plan to revamp the city's Engineering and Planning and Building departments.

Last week, Uran announced the city would contract its engineering work out to Crown Point-based DVG Inc. for about $74,650 in lieu of hiring a new city engineer. The move, coupled with naming Planning Director Curt Graves as the new director of development, will streamline the process of moving development projects through the city, he said.

The council unanimously approved the first reading Monday night of an ordinance to boost several employees' salaries to line up with their increased workloads. City Councilman Mark Schweitzer was absent.

"It makes a lot of sense," council President Bob Corbin said of the restructuring. "I was aware of the perception ... of it taking an awful lot of time delay getting through the process. This should accomplish (reducing) that."

Graves said the restructuring will "close a major gap" in communication among city departments.

"The ones who got hurt were developers," he said.

Graves will play a dual role in the Planning and Building and Engineering departments, facilitating communication among all city departments and updating ordinances.

Under the ordinance approved Monday night, his salary will shift from topping out at nearly $68,000 to a range of $70,000 to $75,000 per year.

Longtime Crown Point employee Gerard Abraham, who was named engineering administrator, will be paid between $57,000 and $62,000, according to the ordinance. He will handle all field operations for the Engineering Department.

Uran said the city will still save about $62,000 as a result of the changes.

No staff will be added to the city payroll.

Uran said the city budget will be reduced by at least $168,000 as a result of the changes he's made since taking office in January.