County commissioners address staffing questions

SUPERIOR – The Mineral County Commissioners approved the transfer of an employee from one county department to another, during their weekly meeting, as well as a possible increase in time for another.

The Clerk and Recorder’s office wanted to bring an employee currently in the Treasurer’s office into theirs. There has been discussion over the last few meetings on the decision and some dispute over how much the employee would be making as well as the actions available to the Treasurer’s office to fill the opening.

It was felt the issue was a possible miscommunication after Staci Hayes, the county clerk, quoted the contract as full-time, which Duane Simons, Commissioner for St. Regis, and Roman Zylawy, commissioner for Alberton, approved but later said would be part-time with a different pay rate. Hayes was sure they said it was full-time, and had not retracted it, but technical difficulties meant they could not check with the minutes or audio record to verify. Zylawy and Simons felt they should honor the full-time pay amount.

“At this juncture, with the time frame and what we’ve already said, I guess I don’t feel like we can go back on what we told Stacy,” said Zylawy.

There was also a question of consistency in pay and whether someone filling in for another person’s position got the same rate. After some discussion, it was verified when one person is filling in, they should get the normal person’s rate. The commissioners felt it did not make sense for them to change the pay rate when someone needed to stand in for a position. It would also be easier when working out paychecks to not be mixing up numbers.

A motion was made to accept the lateral transfer between the offices and fill the vacant position left behind in the Treasurer’s office. The motion was passed 2-1.

The commissioners also discussed some of the maintenance duties around the courthouse and the need for another person to be brought on to help. It was noted repairs and other maintenance around the courthouse take up enough time, other tasks may be harder to complete. As a result, having another person able to do some of the work would be helpful. However, Laurie Johnston, commissioner for Superior, questioned if it was necessary to add a new position for this or if another solution might be possible. 

The options, as the commissioners saw them, were to do nothing and having the current person try to make do, hire a new person to help out or have Mark Grimm, a member of the maintenance staff, on call to help with certain projects as the need arises. Zylawy noted there would be an approximately $5 per week difference between bringing a new employee in and having Grimm help out.

Given that Grimm already helps out, the commissioners liked the idea of arranging the roster so the maintenance and janitorial duties were split. They considered how best to divide the work and to approve Grimm to be able to work extra hours per week; this would be a probationary solution for now as they see how well the time management works, then potentially consider any needed changes.

“Between the two of you the building needs to be cleaned and maintained,” said Simons. “If that isn’t done, then we’re going to need to think of something different … I think between the two of you, you can handle it.”

The commissioners made a motion to allow Grimm to work up to 14 hours per week for janitorial, maintenance and other tasks as needed. The motion was approved unanimously.