Iron County Board rewards employees with incentives

By P.J. GLISSON

news@yourdailyglobe.com

Hurley — Members of the Iron County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday evening to support county employees in relation to either flexibility in hours or targeted increases in pay.

Representatives of six county offices first formally expressed success, within a letter dated Aug. 21, in relation to a summer schedule of four and one-half day weeks and thereby requested “respectfully” to continue with the new hours that had been granted on a trial basis until Sept. 4.

The new schedule allows employees of those offices, consistently, to take Friday afternoon off while still maintaining a 40-hour schedule,

The flexibility had been applied to the offices of the County Clerk, Register of Deeds, Treasurer, Zoning, Veterans Services and Extension.

The statement from representatives of those offices reads as follows: “The extended hours that we were allowed to work during summer months received a lot of positive feedback from the public and were very productive from a working standpoint,”

The year-round schedule for those offices now will remain on Monday through Thursday as 7:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Friday as 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Remaining county offices will continue the standard schedule of Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The board also voted to approve an extra $5 per hour for weekend shifts covered by jailers and dispatchers in the Iron County Sheriff’s Office.

“I’m having a difficult time staffing, mainly on weekends,” said Sheriff Paul Samardich, who added that he also has trouble retaining staff.

“I need to give them some incentives,” said Samardich.

Finally, the board approved raises recommended by the board’s Finance Committee for the following persons classified as heads of various departments: Stacy Oftsad and Erick Nasi, from $25.27 to $27.11; Lori Prenderville and Danielle Dashner, from $26.39 to $26.97; and Melissa DeCarlo and Jerry Nasi, from $25 to $25.64.

Chairman Joseph Pinardi and other board members have long advocated for county department heads to receive a boost in pay so that they are not in a position of making the same salary as a new employee entering a lower position.

Board Members Jamey Francis and Tanner Hiller voted no on that motion, and John Sendra was absent.

In other news, Karen Lauer of Mercer attended her first board meeting as a new member, replacing Opal Roberts who left the board last month after 15 years of service. Lauer said that she also is now a member of the following committees on which Roberts served: Finance, Human Service, Broadband, Aging and Iron County Extension.

The board also:

—Heard a report on the Iron County Fair from Fair Board Chairman Thomas Salzmann and Secretary/Treasurer Cortney Ofstad, who both declared it a great success. Salzmann invited further board membership, and Thomas Thompson, Jr. agreed to join. Board Member Karl Krall also already is on the Fair Board.

—Voted to approve the purchase of search and rescue equipment — specifically a Mule II litter, basket stretcher and basket stretcher bridle string — at a cost of $6,748.50, as requested by Stacy Ofstad, the county’s emergency management director. Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act will cover the purchase.

—Voted to approve a petition to amend the zoning ordinance in relation to property owned by Brian and Maureen Henningfield. The parcel within Section 20 in the town of Gurney now shall revert from F-1 (Forestry) to R-3 (Rural Residential). The county’s Comprehensive Land/Planning and Zoning Committee recommended the action after a related public hearing.

—Voted to approve the sale of Lot 2, Block M in the village of Upson and town of Anderson for $500 to Tim and Agnes Hanson. The land was classified as a vacant lot.

—Voted to cancel a tax deed for the property address of 18 Indiana Avenue in Montreal.

It was noted that $5,518.38 in taxes due had been paid by the property owner.

—Voted to approve a proclamation designating Sept. 10-16 as Suicide Prevention Week.

The board’s next regular meeting will be on Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. in the meeting room of the Iron County Courthouse. The public is welcome.