Courthouse employee salary increase debated         

[DEC. 16, 2005]  The county board's finance committee recommended that the fiscal 2006 budget be amended to add a 3 percent salary increase, $365.61 per year, for the jury commissioner, Janet Kvitle.

Other employees of the legal department in the courthouse received raises, and it was brought to the attention of the finance committee that Kvitle's raise was not included in the budget.

Board member John Stewart had several questions about her hours and the raise. He wanted to clarify that she works only three days a week from 9 a.m. to noon for jury selections, or nine hours a week. He said the raise would constitute giving a part-time employee a raise of about 75 cents an hour.

Kvitle asked to speak and explained to Stewart that her hours aren't set and she works far more hours. She explained that she stays until the jury selection is complete, however long that takes. Also at certain times of the year she works from home preparing and sending out 2,500 jury questionnaires and then reviewing and qualifying them on return. She also does information entry on her computer from home.

Because she was previously retired, she qualifies to officially work only 600 hours per year, with no vacation or holidays. So, she's been allowed to take the work home so she could get it done.

Stewart did some quick calculations and said this still paid a part-time employee about $19 an hour.

Kvitle responded, "Mr. Stewart, that still does not take into consideration the hours I work at home."

Stewart said that he is concerned about this practice. When he was on the animal control committee they had a similar situation that allowed some flexibility for the employees to get the work done. The Department of Labor fined them for it. That was when, by negotiation with the Department of Labor, Animal Control added a time clock that workers are now required to punch in and out. When workers there wanted to go to the county fair, they could go only as volunteers, he said.

Stewart said that it is his understanding of the Department of Labor regulations that hours worked in the courthouse or at home must be logged. "The rules are to protect the employee and employer," he said.

A show of hands to give Kvitle the raise indicated five "yes" and three "no."

Dick Logan called a point of order, "To amend the budget takes a two-thirds vote," he said.

"Send it back [to committee]," presiding vice chairman Bill Sahs said.

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