Four 10-hour days working well in Gove County years ago
Staff reporter
Marion County Commission Chairman Bob Hein reported Monday that he had talked with the Gove County Clerk regarding four 10-hour days.
Gove County, located in the northwest part of the state, started the work schedule June 1 and the clerk told Hein they would know next week the amount of money the county has saved with the change.
Hein said the clerk indicated that the change was going well.
The Gove County offices are open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, being closed on Fridays.
Hein said he would check back with the clerk next week.
In other business:
— County appraiser Cindy Magill provided information to the commission regarding the costs to her department if her office went to a 40-hour work week. The additional cost would be approximately $1,159 per month.
Currently, courthouse office staffs work from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., a 7.5-hour work day instead of the traditional eight-hour day.
The appraiser's office has experienced over-time issues with the 37.5-hour work week and the commission thought going to a 40-hour work week might alleviate some of the over-time.
— Magill reported her department currently was working on the re-inspection of Goessel as part of the cycle of inspections of all county parcels.
A map of the 2008 re-inspections are on the county web site at www.marioncoks.net. Go to "appraiser" and click on announcements.
— The commission approved a write-off of $5,532 for the county's emergency medical services department.
— EMS director Steven Smith reported that the Chevrolet Suburban that was used by the county emergency management department was given to Goessel to be used as a first responder vehicle.
— Prairie View officials presented information about services available to Marion County residents and made a formal request for annual funding of $65,000, the same as the previous year.
— The commission designated county treasurer Jeannine Bateman as a voting delegate for the county at the National Association of Counties convention at Kansas City, Mo.
— Short-term disability insurance premium options were reviewed by the commission.
— Assistant county clerk Tina Spencer reported she had contacted investment banker David Artebury of George K. Baum Co., that the commission's preferred method of payment of a new county jail, if passed by voters in the November election, would be a one percent sales tax.
— County lake superintendent Steve Hudson requested and received a five-minute executive session for personnel. When the meeting reconvened, full-time lake employee, Brian Thiessen, received a $100 raise for completing a year of service. His monthly salary increased from $1,642 to $1,742.
— Brian Frese of the appraiser's department, completed six months and received a monthly pay increase from $1,497 to $1,547.
— Spencer asked and received a 10-minute executive session to discuss personnel.
When the meeting reconvened, the commission announced that the county would advertise for a temporary, part-time custodian for the courthouse buildings.
— A work session to discuss the 2009 budget will be at 8 a.m. Thursday.
The next regular meeting is at 9 a.m. Monday at the courthouse.
