The Crawford County Personnel Committee took up various matters related to staff benefits, as well as a settlement reached between former Highway Department employee Dan Snyder and the county at their Wednesday, August 30 meeting.
Snyder, an almost-20-year veteran of the Highway Department, was fired in August. After filing a grievance with the county, Snyder was granted an impartial hearing by James Daley, Chairman of the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission (WERC). According to County Clerk Robin Fishers, the purpose of the hearing was to determine whether the employee termination decision was justified under the county’s grievance procedure.
The Personnel Committee voted unanimously to approve the settlement, with Supervisor Gerry Krachey making the motion, and Supervisor Mark Gilberts seconding it.
“The hearing lasted one-and-one half of the two days allotted. The hearing officer recommended the county should make a settlement, and after discussion with county corporate counsel, an amicable settlement agreement was reached,” committee chair Brad Steiner reported. “The main concern of the terminated employee was a significant health issue of his spouse, and the fact that losing health insurance would be a burden to the family.”
At the meeting, Steiner explained that overall, the terms of the settlement are that the county will make a lump sum payment of to the individual, who will be able to use those funds to make their COBRA payments for health insurance.
“Everybody left the hearing happy,” Steiner said.
Reached after the meeting, Crawford County Clerk Robin Fisher explained that the settlement included a payment of $20,000 to Snyder, as well as a $10,000 payment to his attorney.
Employee benefits
County Treasurer Deanne Lutz raised the issue of county office hours, and pay raises for the county’s constitutional officers with the committee. Lutz noted that office hours are a particular issue over the lunch hour for constitutional officers, who are guided by language in state statutes.
“It is stated in a county ordinance that county offices are required to stay open from 12-1 p.m., Monday through Friday,” Lutz said. “In state statute, the language is that offices of county constitutional officers will remain open for normal business hours or as directed by the county board.”
Lutz pointed out that many of the offices of county constitutional officers, which include those headed by elected officials such as Treasurer, County Clerk, Sheriff, and Clerk of Courts, are staffed only by two people.
“When one of us is out on sick leave or vacation, that leaves just one employee in the office,” Lutz pointed out. “Everyone is entitled to a lunch break.”
Former Finance Committee Chair Duane Rogers said that the historically, the committee had realized that the only way to address the issue was to hire a part-time employee or to allow the office flexibility in their hours. He said the language in the statutes allows the county the right to set the hours for the office.
“How often does this situation occur? Ten times per year?” County Board Chairman Tom Cornford asked. “I think we’re making too big a deal out of this for as much as it happens.”
Krachey moved to leave the current direction about county office hours as it is currently handled if the employee has the support of their committee, and to monitor any complaints over the next six months. The committee voted unanimously to approve the motion.
Next Lutz pointed out that county constitutional officers were not included in the most recent wage study.
“Because we were left out of this wage increase, we’d like to request either a two-and-one-half or three percent wage increase,” Lutz said. “We’d like to ask that you please consider this request.”
Steiner said the request did not seem out of line, and asked if the Finance Committee also needed to approve an increase.
“We approve the increase and the Finance Committee has to find the money,” Krachey said.
The committee voted unanimously to approve the increase.
Supervisor Mary Kuhn attended the meeting to ask if part-time employees could be granted retirement benefits as a way to recruit and retain workers to part-time jobs within the county.
“For an employee to be eligible, the Wisconsin Retirement System requires them to work a total of 1,200 hours-per-year on a 12-month rolling basis,” Fisher said. “If the employee works 25-hours-per week, that is 1,300 hours-per-year.”
Fisher said that if the employee is hired to work 25 hours-per-week, they would immediately be eligible. If they are hired for less than that, then they would become eligible at any point where a 12-month look back showed they worked at least 1,200 hours-per-year.
After a meeting of department heads, which Fisher described as a “good meeting,” a variety of recommendations about changes in staff benefits were reported to the committee. Those included an option for a four-day workweek, and adding New Years Day as a paid holiday.
“We’ve talked about a four-day work week in the past as a way to save money by not having to heat the building one day out of the week,” Krachey pointed out. “If we want to save money, the building should be closed on Mondays.”
Crawford County Clerk of Court Nancy Dowling pointed out that the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department has to be open and heated 24/7, and that Courthouse must be open and heated Monday through Friday. She said that the courts might be able to “flex a little.”
After discussion about adding New Years Day as a paid holiday, the committee voted unanimously to do so.
Administrative hire
Lastly, Fisher reported that the department heads had a good discussion about whether to hire a ‘County Administrator’ or a ‘County Administrative Clerk.’
“What we would like is to have a joint meeting with the Finance and Personnel committees to further discuss the matter,” Fisher reported. “What we’d like to have is an open forum for discussion.”
The committee agreed to schedule such a meeting on September 7, at 10 a.m.
