Supervisors continue to talk technology
While the Jasper County Board of Supervisors mull the best way to address the county’s technology issues, including a new GIS (global information systems) coordinator, Human Resources Director Dennis Simon had some questions of his own.
Will a new GIS coordinator for the county be in a department of his or her own? Or, will that person be a part of another department, such as the assessor’s office or the Planning and Zoning office? And what will the new position’s duties entail? Should it include the Web site design and information technology, or simply GIS issues?
Supervisor Denny Stevenson said he felt the new GIS coordinator should be salaried, and in a department of his own as department head, and probably free of other IT and Web site design duties.
“We can leave out the Web site and IT duties for now, but let’s leave that option a little bit open,” to be determined during the hiring process, Stevenson said.
Simon said there was probably enough work involving GIS to justify a separate department. Simon said he will meet with Schneider, who has been providing the Beacon Web site design for the assessor’s office, as well as a technology committee of county employees to finalize the GIS coordinator’s job description.
On another topic, at the urging of Human Resources Director Simon, the supervisors attempted to clarify the county’s rules on absences due to snow, and to make the rules more uniform. In the wake of the blizzard last week, some department heads allowed their employees to stay home and still be paid, while others required the employees to take a vacation day, a comp day or a day without pay.
“If an employee can’t get here and we have to pay them, I have a problem with that,” supervisor Stevenson said. He said he liked the way it was done during the storm last week.
Simon said the disparity between the departments on the handling of allowing time off during storms can create some bad feelings among employees.
“We need a little time to get this right,” supervisor Rick Tiedje said. “We don’t need to get in the habit of closing the courthouse, but we do need some guidelines.”
County Auditor Dennis Parrott will check with other county auditors to see if they have formal regulations and will report to the supervisors at a later date.
In other action Tuesday, the supervisors:
• Approved a 28E agreement with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Kellogg to provide law enforcement services. Police Chief Jay Stevenson retired recently, and rather than hire another police chief, the Kellogg City Council voted to enter into an agreement with the county for the services.
The Sheriff’s Office will provide routine patrols, periodic checking of commercial buildings, traffic accident investigations, and other services. The City of Kellogg will pay the county $25,000 annually for the services, which will start on Jan. 1, 2010.
Currently, the county provides law enforcement services to other incorporated areas, including Lambs Grove, Reasnor, Sully, Mingo, Valeria, Oakland Acres and Lynnville.
• Approved an agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation for resurfacing of Highway F62 from East 124th Street South in Sully east 3.25 miles to just west of Highway T38 in Lynnville, and from Highway T38 east 1.25 miles to the Poweshiek County line. Cost of the project is $654,000 in federal funds, and $154,000 from farm-to-market funding. Bids will be let on March 16, with the project likely to begin next spring.
• Approved the creation of two new positions for part-time delivery drivers for the Congregate Meals program. Human Resources Director Dennis Simon said Congregate Meals has had issues with the health and availability of some drivers, and since two people cannot be placed in the same position, the creation of new positions was necessary.
• Approved the creation of a new PRN (as needed) position in Home Care Aides. The department currently has 105 clients with only four full-time and one part-time nurses aides to help.
John Jennings can be contacted at 792-3121 ext. 425 or via e-mail at jjennings@newtondailynews.com.
