By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
Mechanics in the Ellis County Public Works Department will be getting a boost in pay for the next year after the Ellis County Commission voted to approve premium pay in an effort to maintain employees and recruit new ones.
Earlier this month, the commission approved an amendment to the county’s pay plan policy that creates premium pay for positions that are considered high-demand.
For a position to be classified as high-demand, it has to have had higher than average turnover for the past three years and the average time that the position has been vacant must be more than 10 percent longer than the average time to recruit for other positions over the past year.
According to the County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes, the mechanic position has seen a more than 20 percent turnover rate over the past three years and one position has been vacant for a year.
By defining the mechanic position as high-demand, it will increase the rate of pay for the two mechanics already on staff by 10 percent and also increase starting salary by 10 percent for any new hire.
In other business, the commission approved the purchase of a new fire truck for Ellis County Fire Department Company 6 in Ellis.
The new 2019 rescue truck will replace a 1978 International truck that, according to Director of Fire and Emergency Management Darin Myers, has been experiencing mechanical issues.
The new truck will come from Hays Fire and Rescue for $113,049.
Myers said the purchase is part of the 25-year capital replacement plan for the fire district and was a budgeted expense.
The commission also approved two conditional-use permits on a pair of 2-1 votes.
The first was for a bed and breakfast located at 273B Munjor Road, south of Ellis. The second was for a Midwest Energy substation at 2303 Mount Pleasant Road south of Hays.
Commissioner Barb Wasinger, joining the meeting by phone, voted against both permits citing issues with septic system concerns.
Wasinger said, “We have no policy in place for septic systems within Ellis County despite repeated requests from myself to Commissioner (Marcy) McClelland asking, ‘What we’re going to do if we won’t allow septic systems?’ ”
The issue stems from the ongoing lawsuit regarding the commission, McClelland and the owner of the proposed Blue Sky Acres residential subdivision south of Hays.
McClelland voted against the final plat of Blue Sky Acres due to concerns over possible water contamination from septic systems.
Wasinger, who has recused herself from the Blue Sky Acres discussion, said Monday, “we are in a state of limbo.”
Commissioner Dean Haselhorst pointed out that in the case of these two permits septic systems is not an issue.
The bed and breakfast will be on a more than 100-acre family farm and there won’t be any development that could be affected, while the substation does not have a septic system.
The commission also approved a revised employee recognition policy.