Dec. 21—Dickinson County Commissioners approved a 5% pay and step increase for county employees effective Jan. 1.
"We went through the budget process and in anticipation of retainage of employees discussed 5%, and that's what we had budgeted for," County Administrator Janelle Dockendorf said at the commission's Dec. 14 meeting. "We're asking that you would formalize the increase so, as the managers are going through and doing their evaluations, they can give the employees an idea of what their wage would be for 2024."
The increase will cost roughly $542,000 in 2024. The exact dollar amount is fluid with changes in staff.
In other business
Commissioners approved the final floodplain district map. Their approval of Resolution 121423 ends a process started in 2019 to update the maps the county has under the National Flood Insurance Program.
Tim Hamilton, planning and zoning administrator, told commissioners the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region Seven and their engineers have approved the content of the resolution with a change in regard to agricultural structures requiring a formal variance through the board of zoning appeals in order to build at-grade.
Commissioners also approved resolution 121423A to change the speed limit on a portion of 2100 Avenue and South Brady Street. Dockendorf said it is the route many trucks take to go to Bert & Wetta.
She recently met with the members of the Grant Township board who expressed their concerns about the high number of trucks and the speed they travel. The gravel road averages 450 trucks a month and the township's rock budget is depleted.
"They requested that ... 2,660 feet from (Highway) 15 to Brady Street and then 3,020 feet on South Brady Street from 2100 Avenue to the Abilene city limits that you would approve reducing that speed limit to 25 miles per hour," Dockendorf said.
On approving the resolution, commissioners also agreed to have the county Road and Bridge Department install the signs with the township reimbursing the cost.
A one-year contract between Enterprise and the Dickinson County Sheriff Department was approved with an increase of $207.70 a month equaling $2,492.42 per year. The total per year is $72,043.70.
"The only other modification we did to the contract is under the extraordinary medical expense services," Sheriff Jerry Davis said. "We modified that so prescription medications are included. That way any inmate they have housed here if they have prescription medications, we can bill it back to that the city."