County still has questions on employee premium pay

 

[February 18, 2022] 

At the Logan County Board meeting Tuesday, February 15, one focus of discussion was of a one-time premium pay for non-union county employees from America Restoration Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Finance Committee member David Hepler brought forward a motion to approve premium pay at $1,500 for each full-time employee and $750 for each part time employee as a one-time payment based upon the income thresholds set by the statute.

The premium pay is something that has been discussed at both the Finance Committee level and at the Board Workshop.

Bellwether has told the county the standard is 150 percent of the mean value of the salaries. These salaries are based on what the Bureau of Labor Statistics website shows.

The board had not been able to get clarification on the 150 percent for the income threshold. Finance Committee Chairman Steve Jenness said in November the board voted to give raises. Therefore, Jenness said he would vote no based on what the board previously did by giving raises.

Because information had come out that the board would give both raises and premium pay, board member Dale Nelson said the board should approve it. Premium pay has been under consideration for a few months but was just brought back before the board again at the February workshop.

Since the premium pay had not been brought back to the board for the past two months, Nelson feels the board led the employees on. He said voting no could be dissatisfying and demotivating to employees.

To be accountable and build better relationships with the county employees, Nelson asked everyone to vote yes.

Two percent raises for employees were brought forward and approved in December. Jenness said raises and premium pay were never on the table at the same time.

As long as the board understands the mean or median income clause, board member Annette Welch said she was in favor of the premium. The board has been talking about premium pay for several months.

The county needs to be conscientious of ARPA spending, but Welch said premium pay would comprise a small portion. In looking at total ARPA funds the county is receiving versus what may be given out for premium pay, the pay is a small fraction.

The county can revert ARPA funds to lost revenue. Board Chairman Emily Davenport said Bellwether told her if that is done, they may not have to follow the 150 percent rule. In another email, Davenport said the Bellwether representative seemed to contradict himself. Therefore, Davenport said she could not get complete clarity on this point.

Davenport would also like the board to decide on a time frame of hiring dates for people to be eligible for premium pay. For example, Davenport said someone who was just hired should not get the full amount when many county employees have been working much longer. She would like to see amounts prorated.

The timeframe Jenness thought the board should use is March 1, 2020 to March 1, 2021. The [non-union] county employees who worked during that period would be eligible for the premium pay.

Though Welch liked that timeframe, she wanted to make sure this timeline matches up with the allotment of ARPA funds.

To Nelson, setting a timeframe and prorating the amounts seemed like good ideas. Nelson asked Davenport whether she knew when county employees stopped working remotely and when the courthouse was no longer shut down to the public.

Every office was different, so Davenport said she would need to check with Sheriff Landers to see when the courthouse was closed and opened. In some offices, Davenport said employees rotated in and out of the office. For instance, in the board office, the two employees took turns working from home and coming into the office.

One question board member Jim Wessbecher had was whether the list of employees distinguished between who had worked from home and who came into the office to work [during the lockdown].

In answering that question, Davenport said she did not think they did. To find that out, she would need to contact department heads.

Board member Bob Sanders said he thought those who worked remotely were not qualified to receive premium pay. Sanders wondered if full timers working remotely would have been considered part time. He does not want to violate the federal fund guidelines and then have the county need to reimburse the amount out of its own funds.

If all county employees would receive the premium pay, Sanders said he would be for it. He wanted to know if the median salary threshold is statewide.
 

In order to get an answer on median income, Sanders thought the motion should be sent back to the finance committee. Sanders said there seemed to be to many issues to work out before voting on premium pay.

On the median income, Jenness said Bellwether may not give the county a straightforward answer. The income threshold seems to be a gray area.

Though Hepler agreed with Nelson that premium pay should be approved, he feels some questions are still unanswered. He suggested tabling the motion until next month.

Because Jenness is the Finance Committee Chairman, Welch asked Jenness his opinion. She wanted to know whether Jenness thought sending the motion should back to the finance committee or tabling it and bringing it back to the full board next month was a better option.

Jenness said keeping the issue at the full board level would be better. Jenness said letting everyone on the board have input on the premium pay would speed up the process. He said he would do what the rest of the board wanted to do even if that meant sending it back the finance committee.

By tabling the issue, Welch said that would show county employees the board is still thinking about premium pay.

Before next month, Davenport said she would have department heads check records to see who worked remotely.

The board then unanimously approved Hepler’s motion to table the vote on premium pay until next month.

Other updates:

The board approved the following action items:

Building and Grounds Chairman David Blankenship’s motion to go out for proposals for parking lot lighting at the John Logan Building and the Logan County Safety Complex.

Executive and Personnel Committee Chairman Scott Schaffenacker’s motion to opt-in for CERA Illinois Electronics Recycling Program for the week of April 17th to April 23rd in conjunction with Earth Day on April 22, 2022.
 

Insurance/Legislative/Liquor Committee Chairman Annette Welch’s motion to approve Liquor License Application from Kristine Powell regarding current business operated as Sugar Creek waiving application fee.

The application fee will be waived because the current business is already standing and has paid up their liquor license fee until it needs to be renewed. Because Sugar Creek is changing ownership, Welch said the committee asked for a new application so they can get the new ownership and insurance on file.

The following motions brought forward from the Road and Bridge Committee were also approved:

An engineering agreement with Hanson Professional Services for updates to the Fifth Street Road construction plans.

An engineering agreement with Hanson Professional Services for Phase I engineering of Fifth Street Road between 700th Avenue and the I-55 bridge.

Posting the secretary position at the Highway Department to prepare for the retirement of that employee.

The next Regular Logan County Board meeting will be held Tuesday, March 15 at 6 p.m. in the Orr Building.

[Angela Reiners]