Following a lengthy discussion during their May 21 meeting, the Houston County Commission granted approval for the banding adjustment and pay rate modification for Assessor Lucas Onstad.
The need for this adjustment arose when the county’s Personnel director, Tess Kruger, was made aware that the county’s employees in the Assessor’s office were being recruited by other counties. Concerns about the appropriateness of the banding and salary structures, the Personnel Office initiated a review. This review, carried out independently by the DDA, revealed discrepancies in the banding of two positions within the Assessor’s office. Currently, the Assessor’s salary is approximately $87,000. Kruger noted that “when looking at comparable positions across counties, we are $30,000 below that.”
The commission approved the modification to D61 Step 7, set to take effect on May 27. Commissioner Eric Johnson abstained from voting due to a conflict of interest while Commissioner Greg Myhre dissented.
Commissioner Johnson called the meeting to order at 9 a.m. and led his colleagues and the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.
In attendance were all five commissioners: Dewey Severson, Chairman Johnson, Robert (Bob) Burns, Bob Schuldt and Greg Myhre.
The board moved to approve the agenda with two changes to the consent agenda. The May 7 meeting minutes and the minutes from the May 14 workgroup session were both unanimously approved.
There were no public comments or appointments.
The revised consent agenda was unanimously approved including: snowmobile trail resolutions for La Crescent, Gopherland, Houston Money Creek and Viking Ridge Riders, plus the 2024-2029 Richard’s Sanitation Contract, Miller Scrap Iron and Metal new hauler license and solid waste delivery agreement, gambling permit for Bluff Country Hidden Heroes on July 19 at Ma Cal Grove Country Club, on-sale and Sunday liquor license for Money Creek Haven Inc, resignation of Technical Clerk Deanne Valadez-Vick, hire Gavin Schroeder as a dropsite supervisor and Michael Boldt as a maintenance specialist.
The board unanimously agreed to table the recommendations to approve the banding and pay rate change of Administrative Legal Assistant Cindy Augedahl and Julie Von Arx-Abnet. Kruger will schedule a meeting for both Augedahl and Von Arx-Abnet with DDA (David Drown Associates) to review their job descriptions before it is brought back to the board.
Chairman Johnson explained that the investigation into the county’s RFP process during the hiring of the Wildcat Landing management team last year was conducted by an outside legal counsel. Counsel determined that technically, nothing legally was done wrong. Johnson said, “When you read the investigation material there definitely was a lot of confusion and it wasn’t very organized.” He believes that in the future, the county should have a code of conduct policy to prevent something like this from happening again and that there should be some organization in the hiring process.
In other business, the board:
• Accepted a $200 donation from the Brownsville VFW. The Houston County Veterans Services can use the donation for the needs of any veteran in the county.
• Rescinded the award made on May 7 to Century Traffic, LLC and instead awarded the contract to Sir Lines-A-Lot, LLC, the low bidder. The action was required because the quotes were listed under the wrong bidder.
• Approved establishing a 20-mph speed limit on Houston CSAH 6 from the alley between S. 4th St. and S. 3rd St. to the alley between S. 6th St. and S. 7th St. and on Houston CSAH 29 from the alley between S. 1st St. and Main St. to the alley between S. 2nd St. and S. 3rd St. in La Crescent when children are present. The speed limit will take effect once the signs are installed.
• Approved a contract with Ciel Strategic Innovations to conduct a strategic planning process for the county’s public health department.
• Approved a $30,000 EDA revolving loan for Bryan Spier and Tracey Knutson. Spier and Knutson are opening Frank and Julia’s, a market/deli business, at 138 S. Kingston Street in Caledonia. The 2024 terms are 3.5% for 10 years.
• Approved allocating $101,250 in ARPA funds for Splunk, server, boardroom, and RSA technology.
There being no closing public comments or questions regarding the claims report as presented by Finance Director Carol Lapham, the board unanimously approved paying the bills before the meeting was adjourned at 10:52 a.m.
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