County council voices concerns about new hires
Pulaski County Council members approved a new position and an increase in wages but not without opposition during a regular meeting on Monday.
Councilwoman Alex Haschel questioned the wage issues. She said it bothers her that people are being hired without the council knowing anything about it.
She used the example of an employee hired from a part-time position at $13 per hour to a full-time position at more than $16 per hour without notifying the council. The council then has to compensate the difference in back pay.
“I don’t know if there is something that they can do to at least let us know that this person is being transfered from part time to full time instead of it just being that we are approached when they need the money,” Haschel said.
Council president Jay Sullivan suggested that department heads contact the commissioners or the council before they advertise a position.
“I think that is a must that we need to know about it before it gets to that point. Once they are hired what are we going to do about it then?” Sullivan said.
Haschel agreed.
The amounts that are a part of the salary ordinance do not have to be applied to everyone who is hired, according to Sullivan.
Linda Powers was absent from the meeting.
In other business:
• Pulaski Superior Court Judge Patrick Blankenship asked for two additional appropriations of $2,000 and $34,783.05. The appropriations will be used to cover the jury and the pauper counsel fees. He believes the jury fee fund is in the red and there is at least one jury trial that could occur this year. Blankenship said there have been seven jury trials this year, including a malpractice case. His requests were approved.
• County highway superintendent Terry Ruff and assistant superintendent Gary Kruger approached the council with a request to transfer funds to cover the costs of a new position. Ruff would like to create a new position, tree maintenance foreman, but not fire a new employee. The foreman position would only increase the wages of a current employee. Ruff would like to see the new position because there is additional training required to trim trees. He would like to transfer funds of $4,062 to cover the raise. It was questioned whether the new position needed to be approved first before approving the transfer of funds to cover the wage increase. The new position was approved along with the transfer of funds to cover the wage increase from $16.05 to $16.95. A salary wage change was also approved. There was opposition from Haschel.
• Ruff also asked for two transfers of $51,828.12 to purchase stone and $40,000 to cover the costs of truck and tractor repair. The transfers were approved.
• Assessor Holly Van Der Aa said she has moved a part-time employee to a full-time position because someone has retired and she needs to know how much that person will be paid. During a previous meeting, the council said that the hourly wage or salary of any new employees will need to come before the council because new employees are being hired at the same rate of employees who have been working for the county for several years. Pulaski County Auditor Shelia Garling said, according to the salary ordinance the position hourly rate is $16.51. A motion was approved to pay the new hire at $16.51 with opposition from Haschel.
• Recycling center/transfer station manager Brad Bonnell asked to transfer $20,000 from the foreman position to the part-time employee fund. Bonnell said there is currently not a foreman position at the department. The request was approved. He also asked to transfer $20,000 to purchase a new truck.
• Sheriff Jeff Richwine requested a handful of transfers that were approved. Those transfers include $19,000 for equipment, $1,500 for the animal control wages, $4,000 for uniforms and $5,000 for building structure repair.
• IT manager RB Walters spoke with the council about some of the future technology ideas he would like to implement at the different county departments. His ideas would save the county money, upgrade the equipment and the speed of the data. He also presented ideas of what needs to happen in the next year to maintain and upgrade the various networks and equipment. Council members expressed their concerns about how much funding there is available to implement these ideas. Walters said he would like to have some kind of budget hopefully by the new year.
• A transfer of $1,850 for the absentee voter board was approved.
• A transfer of $300 in the probation fund for a part-time interpreter was approved.
• A transfer of $49.92 in the CDC fund from the dues and subscript line item to a salary line item was approved.
• A transfer of $3,181.36 for the airport runway and grounds was approved.
• The council tabled a resolution from the election board to approve a reduction of the voting centers from 12 to five centers.
• The minutes from the joint session and the regular session on Oct. 12 were approved.
• Councilman Doug Roth said he is no longer a part of the wage committee because there could be a conflict of interest. Councilwomen Linda Powers and Haschel continue on the committee.