Minutes, December 21, 2009

ELLSWORTH COUNTY COMMISSIONER MEETING

 

MINUTES

 

DECEMBER 21, 2009

 

The Board of Ellsworth County Commissioners convened this 21^st day of December 2009 at the Ellsworth County Courthouse. 

 

                                                            Members Present:

                                                            Albert W. Oller, 1^st District Commissioner

                                                            Kermit Rush, 2^nd District Commissioner

                                                            Terry L. Kueser, 3^rd District Commissioner

                                                           

                                                                                                                       

OPENING BUSINESS:

 

Chairman Oller called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.

 

Commissioner Rush moved to approve the Agenda as printed.  Commissioner Kueser seconded the motion.  Motion carried 3-0.

 

Commissioner Rush moved to approve the Minutes of December 14^th 2009.  Commissioner Oller seconded the motion.  Motion carried 3-0.

 

No one was present for the Public Forum.

 

 

APPOINTMENTS:

 

Roger Masse, ECMC Administrator, reported the combine loss for the rural health center and hospital for November was $35,000 with a year-to-date loss of $321,859.  However, they have applied for some Medicare adjustments which have not been approved as yet.  Their satisfaction surveys still show a high percentage of approval with eight out of ten being survey saying they would recommend the facility.  The assessment team will be back on February 2 & 3 and will conduct some training as well as continue their assessment.  They are still working on the shelter grant funding.

 

 

Tim Vandall, Ellsworth City Administrator, and Dave Smith, Ellsworth City Chief of Police, met with the Commissioner to ask them to waive the tipping fees for a trailer they plan to tear down and bring into the landfill.  The Commissioners explained that they could not accept a trailer since it is metal and if they wanted to put it in the metal pile; they would have to break it up.  The properties in the City that they would like to clean up are tax delinquent, and they questioned when those properties would go up for a tax sale.  As a rule, the County Attorney does not put properties that are a liability to the county up for a tax sale.  However, the Commissioner expressed their desire to work with the city on these properties.

 

Tracy Ploutz, Sheriff, visited with the Commissioners about the job description for his new position of Investigator.  It has been sent to Austin Peters to have it evaluated and put in our salary/range scale.  Sheriff Ploutz discussed purchasing a 4-wheel drive vehicle in 2010 for himself and having the one he presently drives put into the patrol fleet.  During the recent storm, they certainly felt the need to have another 4-wheel vehicle.

 

Michelle Maze, EMS Director, discussed her two new job descriptions, Billing Clerk and Assistant Director.  They, too, have been forwarded to Austin Peters for evaluation and placement in salary/range scale.  She has interview for the billing clerk position and has hired Kathy Engeland to start January 4^th  and Gaye Woods will fill the sport of Assistant Director at a salaries to be yet determined.  r.

 

Ronda Kasiska, Health Supervisor, reported the H1N1 flu shots are now available to the public and she is having two clinics this week.  She has received additional funding for the HIN1 flu and has sent in a request to purchase a generator for approximately $7,600 with these funds.  In total she has received $24,606 from the H1N1 funding stream and with the generator will have spent $11,420.  Previously, she purchased a refrigerator to store vaccines.  The remaining funds will be used to offset expenses.  Mrs. Kasiska also expressed concerns about the pay scale, in particular the one for nurses.  She feels she is not able to hire a full time nurse at our salary level and asked the Commissioners to consider raising it.  With the budgets being set for this year and the fact that they would find it hard to justify making changes to only one position and not others, they felt they could not address it this year, but they would put it on their agenda before making budget for 2011.

 

OLD BUSINESS:

 

There were no old business items.

 

NEW BUSINESS:

 

Commissioner Kueser moved to approve the 2010 KAC dues in the amount of $1,613.80.  Commissioner Oller seconded the motion.  Motion carried 3-0.

 

Commissioner Kueser moved to approve Abatements 73-75 & 79-81 in the amount of $1,121.08.  Commissioner Oller seconded the motion.  Motion carried 3-0.

 

Due to the snow storm on December 9^th the Courthouse did not open until 12 Noon.  Therefore, all employees who worked those three hours will be compensated by having three hours added to their vacation benefit.

 

ADJOURNMENT:

 

Chairman Oller adjourned the meeting at 12:10.

 

 

 

_____________________________________________

Janet L. Andrews, Ellsworth County Clerk