The Mitchell County Commissioners met in 30-minute executive conference call with Melissa Wangmann, an attorney for the National Association of Counties. Two five-minute extensions were added to complete the call. The reason given for the conference call was to discuss "trade secrets of a corporation." All three commissioners were present including: Chairman Mike Cooper, Commissioner Tom Claussen and Commissioner Jim Marshall. Also, present for the call were Mitchell County Attorney Mark Noah and County Clerk Chris Treaster. Chairman Cooper announced there were on decisions made during the session.
During last weeks meeting Ed Debesis and Janet Gengler met in an executive meeting with commissioners to discuss non-elected personnel. No decisions were made. Chairman Cooper announced at this mornings meeting that it had been brought to the attention of the commissioners that EMS Department Head, Ed Debesis and his assistant, Janet Gengler, having to put in a lot of extra hours to cover for an employee who is gone on a long-term medical leave.
Debesis and Gengler, who are salaried employees, have taken it upon themselves to cover these hours to save the county from having to paying out quite a bit of overtime in wages to the remaining employees. Debesis had seventy hours of over time and Gengler had forty-five hours of overtime. They have agreed to accept the same wages the employee would have received which is $13 an hour. The employee does not receive workman's compensation since this medical issue was not work related.
The EMS Department doesn't run extra employees and with two stations to cover they don't have the manpower to pull people off to cover these extra hours. Commissioners agreed to this plan and said they would try to get the issue resolved and revisit the problem at their May 6, meeting.
Commissioner Tom Claussen thanked Sondra Hone and the Mitchell County Health Department and Ed Debesis, and the EMS Department for the job they did at the Mitchell County Health Fair held last Saturday.
Heather Hartman, Community Development Director gave a report on the tour the North Central Kansas Planning Commission that she and Commissioner Claussen took last week. They visited Great Plains Manufacturing Co., the State Prison Facility, and Cashco Manufacturing Co. all in Ellsworth. They also enjoyed lunch in the Underground Restaurant while they were there.
Commissioner Jim Marshall asked for a 10-minute executive meeting with Clerk Treaster present to discuss non-elected personnel. No decisions were made.
The meeting adjourned and commissioners went into a meeting with the County Department Heads.