County Council approves pair of personnel items

Monday, May 24, 2021

A light agenda for the Putnam County Council during its May meeting was nonetheless important to a pair of county employees.

Assessor Janet Brown was granted approval for a temporary part-time employee while one of her full-time employees is on maternity leave.

Brown explained to the Council, as she had done to the Putnam County Commissioners earlier in the week, that the proposed part-timer was a former employee who had resigned previously due to a health issue.

However, she has now recovered to the point that she is again looking to get back in the workforce.

In fact, Brown cited a recent example when the former employee was visiting her office and Brown posed a question to her employees. The former employee returned the answer more quickly than those still working in the office.

Brown also explained that the employee on maternity leave will take three months off, but only has about a month of paid time off, so money is in the budget.

The Council gave its blessing, with the part-time employee not to exceed 30 hours a week or three months of employment.

A lack of temporary employees has the Extension Office moving in a different direction.

Extension Director Mark Evans explained to the Council that it has become increasingly difficult to get summer student help.

With that line item sitting empty, he proposed transferring the money to provide a pay increase for Education Program Coordinator Kim Beadles, to better align with the value she provides to both the Extension Office and the Soil & Water Conservation District, which pays part of Beadles’ salary.

“Kim works evenings. She works weekends,” Evans said. “She’s turned out to be a very good employee.”

He also assured the Council he wouldn’t return, hat in hand, for more money elsewhere.

“I don’t plan on coming back next year and saying, ‘Well, now I need more for part-time,’” Evans said.

The Council approved the request unanimously.

Aside from a routine budget correction, the only other item of note from the 25-minute meeting was welcoming new Councilman Jay Alcorn, who was selected via caucus to fill out the remainder of Jill Bridgewater’s term.

Alcorn was joined at the meeting by Council President Dave Fuhrman and fellow council members Keith Berry, Stephanie Campbell, Phil Gick, Larry Parker and Danny Wallace, as well as Auditor Kristina Alexander.

The next meeting of the Putnam County Council will be at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15 at the Putnam County Courthouse.

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