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By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
At the end-of-the-year
housekeeping meeting held Thursday, Dec. 27, the Houston County Board
approved non-union, appointed and elected officialsí salaries, honored
county employees who had reached employment milestones, and approved a
number of yearly contracts.
Salaries are set
County
Personnel Director Tim Comstock presented the county board with the
recommendations for non-union, appointed and elected officialsí
compensation changes and salaries, which were made by the negotiating
committee that included Comstock and county commissioners Larry Connery
and Dave Corcoran.
ìAs you know, the board is required by
statute to set the 2008 salaries for all elected officials prior to the
end of this year,î Comstock stated in his memo. ìThis would include the
cost of living increase as well as any discretionary step advancement
for those who are eligible, according to our compensation system. The
committee is proposing that the board approve the following personnel
items, to be effective Jan. 1, 2008.î
As a cost of living
adjustment (COLA) for 2008, the non-union, appointed, and elected
official compensation system wage grid be increased by three percent.
The three percent increase would set the six elected county positions
at:
ïCounty Attorney- $82,956
ïCounty Auditor- $74,020
ïCounty Sheriff- $70,637
ïCounty Recorder- $51,469
ïCounty Treasurer- $51,469
ïCounty Commissioner- $18,687
Comstock noted when Chief Deputy Scott Yeiter of the Sheriffís Office
was hired last year, his salary was set at 12.5 percent above the
captainís salary, which is negotiated through the LES union. The former
chief deputyís salary had been set at 20 percent above the captainís
salary. To bring the chief deputyís salary more in line to what it was
before Yeiter was hired, the negotiating committee recommended Yeiterís
salary be set at 18 percent above the base salary rate for the position
of captain.
The committee also recommended granting an additional two percent step advancement to 10 department heads and supervisors.
ìIt
is the countyís goal to retain qualified department heads and
supervisors by rewarding them with a competitive salary for the work
they perform and this goal is best achieved by a combination of a
competitive COLA combined with step advancement based on tenure as well
as favorable performance,î Comstock explained. ìHowever, step
advancement for certain individuals who are in the last compensation
range can only take place with the boardís discretion.î
Those 10
employees included: Beth Wilms, Linda Bahr, Bob Scanlan, Nickie Folsom,
Mary Thompson, Heather Myhre, Laurie Bigalk, Kelly Tornstrom, Diane
Sullivan, and Lorretta Lillegraven.
ìIt should be noted that all
other non-union, appointed and/or elected officials who were not listed
here are still advancing through the initial wage step range or are
already at 100 percent of the maximum salary for their comparable worth
rating,î Comstock added.
Employees honored
The county board honored a number of persons who had reached employment milestones during the past year. They included:
ï35 years- John Dewey
ï30 years- Geraldine Klug and Kevin Siebold
ï25 years- Beverly Bauer
ï15 years- Michael Kost, Sharen Lapham, Cynthia Melbostad, Donald Moore, and Mary Leary
ï10
yars- Marcia Bauer, Jean Becker, Shelly Cavanaugh, Dale Erickson,
Loretta Lillegraven, Darlene Peter, Carol Sherburn, and Patricia Will
Contracts approved
The board approved yearly contracts that are utilized by the countyís environmental services. They include
Hilltopper
Refuse & Recycling- collection and transportation license,
agreement for hauling of waste, and Houston County collection and
transportation license;
Shirley Giblin- collection and
transportation license, agreement for hauling of waste, and Houston
County collection and transportation license;
Houston County
recycling Center- collection and transportation license, agreement for
hauling of waste, intermediate solid waste disposal facility license,
and Houston County collection and transportation license;
Waste
Management- collection and transportation license, agreement for
hauling of waste, agreement for collection of recyclables, and Houston
County collection and transportation license;
Midwest
Roll-Off- collection and transportation license, agreement for hauling
of waste, and Houston County collection and transportation license;
Harterís
Quick Clean-Up- collection and transportation license, agreement for
hauling of waste, agreement for collection of recyclables, and Houston
County collection and transportation license;
Richardís
Sanitation- collection and transportation license, agreement for
hauling of waste, agreement for collection of recyclables, and Houston
County collection and transportation license;
Richardís
Sanitation- Cost of living increase for 2008 contract based on producer
price index industry data for solid waste collection;
Shirley Giblin- 2008 mileage increase for hauling tires;
ABC recycling Center/Woodland Industries- employee contracts at various drop sties and the countyís recycling center.
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