The Marshall County Fiscal Court is looking at providing county agencies with a more clear path toward employee expectations and potential advancement.
Commissioners tabled action on a proposal to enter into a contract with Capstone HR Services Inc. Tuesday during a regularly-scheduld fiscal court meeting in Benton to allow time to speak with other agencies that had utilized services. The contract, if approved, would allow Capstone to draft job descriptions for employees within county agencies. No descriptions have been available in previous years, and Judge-Executive Kevin Neal said implementing such measures would prove beneficial in outlining the county’s expectations of its employees as well as giving clear guidelines on how those workers can advance in the workplace.
“Having Capstone come in, we could sit down and do it, but you’ve got a company that this is what they do,” Neal said. “This is what they do, they know the federal laws, the state laws. … But it basically makes a consistent job description. When you have an employee, and you’re talking about career development and I get hired into the county, well I need to know what my job is, know what the expectations are. … We’ve got inconsistencies across the board. If you’re an employee, you’ve got somebody working beside you that’s making more money than you, question why they’re making more money than you when you basically perform the same task, I think it should be due diligence to lay that out, what they requirements are. So this is the first step to do that.”
The contract, which would come with a $4,200 price tag to retain services and an additional $250 each for the approximate 17 or fewer job descriptions, outlines a two-phase effort. Capstone would meet with department heads to draft job descriptions and templates for said descriptions compliant with federal and state regulations during the first phase of the process; the firm will review wage and compensation plans and make recommendations to the county in the second phase. The contract calls for half of the $4,200 consultation fee to be paid prior to phase two, with the remaining half to be invoiced upon completion of services.
Additional expenses incurred after job completion would be billable to the county at rate of $78 per hour. Out-of-pocket costs incurred at the request of the county, such as lodging, meals and supplies, would also be assessed a fee.
District 2 Commissioner Johnny Bowlin questioned the out-of-pocket stipulation in the contract. District 1 Commissioner Bob Gold said he’d like more time to talk to other Capstone clients. He questioned if Capstone was the only area agency to provide such services.
“My only question would be that, judge, if we could maybe have just enough time to speak to some of the folks that’s used them,” Gold said.
Neal said he’d met with Capstone last year, and said the firm had just completed work for the City of Benton and had done work for McCracken County, as well.
The issue could be considered time-sensitive, as Road Department plans hinged on setting employee agreements.
“Remember me talking in the budget meeting about implementing a pay scale change for the men based on what they can do?” Road Department Supervisor Wendy Greer said. “We put that in the budget to change the pay out there, but we’re unable to do that until we do something like this.”
Commissioners will take time to review the agreement and the firm’s work prior to approving the contract.
The court also approved a grant application submitted by the Marshall County Exceptional Center, on the heels of a bitter public debate among MCEC board members, Bowlin and Neal in recent weeks. Neal introduced the center’s application, which requested $30,600 in funding from the court for general operations, and recommended the court move additional monies from reserve to help support that contribution if needed. He had previously been accused of not giving proper notification to the center about the county’s grant application for nonprofits.
“One thing, administratively, that we wanted to accomplish was to quantify those dollars for nonprofits, and I think the application process (does that),” Neal said. “We all support our nonprofits in the community, but more importantly, you know, the exceptional center provides a services to the kids, to the adults in the community that has a need the most. It’s a service that some of those students and adults, we don’t know what they would do without that service.”
Commissioners voted unanimously to extend funding to the center.
The county took another step toward construction on the Shar-Cal Road bridge project, as well. The court voted to accept a bid – the only submitted for the project to meet qualifications – from Jim Smith Contracting based in Grand Rivers. Total bid on project construction, excluding engineering and architecture fees, came to $397,515.65, a sum lower than what commissioners had anticipated. Overall, project engineers at DLZ Corporation estimated last month total sum to come to about $605,516, down from the $850,000 initially budgeted.
Specs on the new bridge call for a concrete structure to replace the 60-foot bridge on Shar-Cal Road after torrential rainfall brought significant flash flooding last July, damaging the existing bridge. Permits have been obtained to complete the project, leaving only remaining easements to begin construction.
In other business, the court:
- set an Aug. 7 date to discuss proposals with potential engineers with the Parks Foundation Board on development in Mike Miller Park;
- approved a $6,548.25 payment to the County Clerk’s office to process motor vehicle and boat bills;
- entered into an agreement to implement the Code Red notification system;
- heard the first reading of ordinances to change speed limits on Marco Street, Post Oak Lane and Tillett Hill Lane to 25 mph;
- appointed Mike Dabolt to the Jonathan Creek Water District board;
- appointed Lisa Mellies to serve on the ethics board; and
- appointed Coye McCury to serve on the nuisance board, effective Aug. 1.
See the full court meeting and business, here.