Caledonia Argus

Deputy files discrimination complaint

Posted: 12/2/03

By Shannon McKinney
Argus News Reporter

The only female deputy in the Houston County Sheriffís Office has filed discrimination charges against her employer.

The County Board met in closed session for an hour Tuesday, November 25 for the purpose of discussing the charges with their counsel.

A complaint was filed with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights by Linda Coffield against the Houston County Sheriffís Office.

Coffield has been employed as a deputy with the Sheriffís Office for 14 years.

Those who were present for the meeting included: Sheriff Mike Lee, County Attorney Rick Jackson; Wendy Nemmers with Minnesota Counties Insurance Trust (MCIT); Dyan Ebert, attorney with Quinlivan and Hughes of St Cloud, representing MCIT; and John Stein from the claims department of Meadowbrook Insurance, which is the company that carries the insurance trust coverage.

The complaint was filed on November 25 and the process of review and investigation is ongoing. ìI canít specify on where it will go from here,î said Jackson.

Two new lieutenants hired

In other news relating to the sheriffís office, the county board approved filling two lieutenant positions with Brian Swedberg and Tracie Erickson, both of the Houston County Sheriffís Office. Swedberg has been a deputy for 12 years, while Erickson has been one for three years.

The two were chosen out of six in-house applicants. Sheriff Mike Lee said the choice was based on their past work history and job performance.

The two lieutenant positions are part of a restructuring of the sheriffís department. There had been two sergeants positions that had been held by Randy Shefelbine and Bob Schuldt. Shefelbine has been with the Sheriffís office for 25 years, while Schuldt has been with the Sheriffís office for eight years. Those two have reverted back to being deputies and their pay is still being negotiated.

The promotions were not based on seniority, said Comstock.

The board also approved advertising for the position of deputy which had not yet been filled when Ken Frank was promoted to chief deputy.

In other news, the board approved advertising for a manager for Wildcat Park in Brownsville for the 2004 camping season.

Vacation time will save county money

Commissioners approved a request from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union, which represents about 90 percent of employees in the courthouse, for a voluntary closing of the courthouse on December 26, to be taken as unpaid or as vacation time.

Personnel director Tim Comstock said there would be a slim crew working at the courthouse that day because of people who were taking vacation. Also, those non-union employees, such as supervisors and department heads, will have to voluntarily agree to the same terms or work behind closed doors.

Comstock said this would also be in line with the countyís goal of encouraging employees to take time off without pay as a way of keeping the costs down. The board had previously approved five unpaid days off for this year as a cost saving measure.

ìItís just a continuation of saving money,î said commissioner Kevin Kelleher.

Board budgets for ALP

The board unanimously agreed to budget several thousand dollars for an Airport Layout Plan (ALP).

Allen Henke, engineer for the Houston County Highway Department, said before the ALP can be done, the county must first complete a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), which is ten year plan for the airport.

After the CIP is updated, the county will then begin soliciting for consultants to create the ALP.

Inmates help courthouse

Commissioner Ann Thompson noted that Sheriff Lee had compiled a list of things that inmates in the jail had done to help out around the courthouse. Some of the 35 chores performed by inmates include a lot of washing, waxing and cleaning out of county vehicles, painting, carpeting, polishing and some outside courthouse maintenance.

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