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Commission approves changes to staffing


At a special meeting held on Tuesday, Nov. 24, the Walworth County Commission voted to make changes to the number of transport officers in the county and how they are paid.
At the Tuesday, Nov. 17 meeting, the commission discussed cutting the prisoner transport team to four salaried employees, due to the amount of overtime being paid with the current situation.
Commissioner Kevin Holgard brought a motion that would cut the staff by two full-time employees, put those employees on a salary based on their current hourly wage and put those employees on a scheduled on-call basis.
What this scenario would eliminate is the staff being required to be on the premises for a scheduled shift, with nothing to do until a transport is needed. At that time, if the transport takes the staff into overtime after the scheduled shift, the county is paying overtime.
On the salary-based system, the employees would have a scheduled shift, but would be on-call. They would be paid their regular salary, whether or not they go on a transport or not. The employees would be paid their benefits, including their vacation time, whether they work 25 hours a week or 55 hours a week.
Commissioner Jim Houck made a motion to keep the employee situation as is with six full-time, two-part time on hourly wage. He said he thought because it is all new territory and they need to work with the situation a while before they make changes.
Holgard said paying 70 to 80 hours overtime when they are not transporting prisoners until the end of shifts cannot be sustained by the county.

Chief Deputy Justin Jungwirth told the group if they would keep the six full-time employees, they would consider going on salary, on call. He said he would make up a schedule to reflect that change.
Although Walworth County Sheriff Josh Boll disagreed with the proposal, the commission approved the resolution with Holgard, Scott Schilling and Schlomer voting in favor and Houck and Davis Martin voting against it.
The commission also discussed purchasing or renting a trailer to use as a temporary holding area for transported prisoners when they are waiting for their court appearances.
At last Tuesday’s meeting the commission discussed renovating the garage area (attached to the former jail facility) as a holding facility, but there are issues with tapping into the water and sewer system and the cost of adding a bathroom.
Adding a temporary trailer, that could be placed on the west corner of the parking lot, where there is access to the water and sewer system would be explored before the special meeting.
Boll researched the trailer issue and the commission voted to purchase an 8-foot by 33-foot construction trailer from Charles Maum that was inspected by Boll and Houck.
There will be modifications needed including modifying the trailer to comply with the Americans with DisabilitiesAct, installing a dividing wall and adding plumbing and electricity.
The commission also approved advertising for a budget supplement to the sheriff’s 2021 budget for the extra costs of transporting; approved a lease with the City of Mobridge for an office space for the county emergency manager; approved changes to the policy manual and approved appointing Steve Volk to a four-year term as the county veterans service officer.

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