Jay Kieft
The county board has asked Jay Kieft to come on board as the county’s first county administrator and is in the process of negotiating a contract with him. At the October 15, 2013 county board meeting, Auditor- Treasurer Braidy Powers handed out a proposed contract that had been drawn up by the county’s consultant, David Unmacht.
The proposed contract did not mention placing the county administrator on a job grid that relates pay to level of experience and years with the county like all other employees and elected officials are on.
Board Chair Jan Hall asked Auditor-Treasurer Powers to ask Unmacht if he thinks they should ask the Management Advisory Team (MAT), comprised of department heads, for their opinions on the proposed contract.
“I think the decision is ours,” said Commissioner Sue Hakes. “It’s not the MAT team’s decision.”
The proposed contract states that Kieft would be paid $99,000 a year and that his salary would be reviewed annually. The county would pay up to $7,500 in moving expenses for Kieft to move from western Minnesota. Kieft would start the job with 80 hours of paid time off and would accrue more time off at the rate of 25 days a year, the amount afforded to other county employees after five to 10 years of service. The county would pay health and life insurance for Kieft and his dependents according to the same terms offered to other employees.
Under the terms of the proposed contract, the county would pay for travel and expenses related to professional development activities such as annual conferences.
The proposed contract states, “It is recognized that the employee must devote a great deal of time outside of normal business hours as part of his employment for the county, and to that end the employee shall be allowed flexibility to establish an appropriate dayto day work schedule.”
Under the proposed contract, if the county fired Kieft (for something other than malfeasance, gross misconduct, conviction of a felony or an illegal act involving personal gain), formally suggested that he leave, or reduced his salary or benefits in a percentage greater than an across-the-board reduction for all non-union employees, Kieft would receive a lump sum equal to six months of salary.
Commissioner Garry Gamble questioned parts of the proposed contract, wondering what was customary for a county administrator position, but said they want to continue to build on the relationship they had already started building with Kieft.
Kieft has stated that he could start his new position December 9.
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