The temporary freeze of non-contract employee wages at Crow Wing County was lifted following approval of an amended pay plan Tuesday by the board.
With a 4-1 vote, the board approved a proposal from Tamra Laska, human resource director, to make changes to the pay plan governing the salaries of those employees who are not part of unions. The proposed change included reducing the number of pay grades from 30 to 13, along with reducing the number of possible performance ratings from five to three.
Fifty-four non-contract employees-along with the majority of unionized employees-follow some form of a performance-based pay structure. Laska said updating the pay plan was an important tool in negotiating open labor contracts with employee unions. Six contracts were open in 2016, Laska said, and five will be open in 2017.
Commissioner Paul Thiede was the lone vote against the plan. Thiede said following Tuesday's board meeting his opposition vote had less to do with the principles outlined in the plan, and more to do with the process. The amended pay plan was on the board's Dec. 28 agenda, but was tabled after Thiede requested further vetting by the board.
"I don't believe we vetted this as thoroughly as we should have at the board level," Thiede said Tuesday.
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In other business, the county board:
Recognized community services for receiving a Local Government Innovation Award from the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs. The award recognized the development of a dashboard tool, allowing the monitoring of how social workers and case aides are spending their time and with whom. Recipients of the award were employees Rachel Grimes, Lynn Clasen and Sheila Skogen.
Approved a petition of BIR Real Estate LLC for preliminary plat requests for 16 luxury garage condominiums and 44 non-residential storage garage units. The development will be located on Johnson Road.
Awarded the 2017 printing and publishing bid to the Brainerd Dispatch, Echo Journal and Crosby-Ironton Courier for first publication of legals and financial statements. The Brainerd Dispatch was designated the newspaper for official publications. Second publication of the financial statement was awarded to the NewsHopper.
Reappointed Rock Yliniemi to the planning commission/board of adjustment and reappointed Steven Voss to the transportation advisory committee.
Made 2017 appointments for the Association of Minnesota Counties policy committees and voting delegates. Kara Terry, community services director, was appointed the 2017 voting delegate. The appointment is typically rotated among senior managers.
Supported a new premises gambling permit application for the Crosslake-Ideal Lions club for Mission Tavern in Mission Township.
Accepted a $100 donation from Garrison Township for the Sentence to Serve program.
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Approved a resolution authorizing the chairman or vice chairman of the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport Commission to act as the representative of Crow Wing County for all 2017 capital projects for airport operations.
Approved a $50 per diem for appointed citizens serving on advisory committees, which was not a change from last year.
Approved an annual resolution outlining the types of meetings allowed to be closed to the public, per state statute. These include meetings pertaining to labor negotiation strategy, preliminary consideration of allegations against persons employed by the county, evaluations of the performance of persons subject to the authority of the board and conferences protected by the attorney-client privilege.
