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County Administrator James Joerke presented the 2022-2024 Cook County Employees Association (CCEA) labor agreement to the commissioners at the board’s April 26 meeting, which was passed unanimously by the county board.
Some details of the contract:
The CCEA represents non-supervisory employees who are not members of Local 49 (Highway Department) or the Sheriff ’s office (LELS).
After the two sides couldn’t agree, the CCEA filed for mediation, and a session was held on April 7.
Coming out of the mediation, the two sides agreed to a three-year contract (January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2024) calling for a 3.0 percent cost of living (COLA) for 2022 and 3.5 percent COLA for 2023 and 2024.
Employees will also receive a one-time $500 incentive bonus paid to all full and part-time CCEA members to recognize their service while working through the difficult circumstances of the pandemic. The $500 Pandemic Service bonus for county staff will cost $57,000 and come from the American Rescue Plan Act Budget, not from the county’s general fund balance.
County employees will also receive another vacation day. In addition, Juneteenth (June 19) was added as a paid holiday, which brings the number of paid holidays to 11, which, said Joerke, falls in line with what most other counties in the state offer their employees.
The courthouse and other county facilities will be closed to the public on Christmas Eve (employees will still need to work that day, take paid time off, or some combination of the two) if the county facilities would not otherwise be closed on that day.
Employees will now be able to increase paid time off hours from 40 to 80 and roll them over into a deferred compensation plan at the end of the year, subject to certain conditions.
An addition of wellness leave was added to the contract. Employees can now request up to eight weeks of unpaid wellness leave.
After six months of successful employment with the county, workers will be able to enroll in the Minnesota State Retirement System Post-Retirement Health Care Savings Plan. There will be no county contribution to the employee’s plan.
The county’s Remote Work Policy will be effective for the three-year contract duration.
Pay tables that have resulted in Grade 180 being paid less than Grade 170 staff were corrected and will be retroactive to January 1, 2022.
Joerke praised the work of all who were involved in the labor negotiations.
Next, Joerke said it was time to form a group to plan for a worker’s compensation and classification study. Commissioner Mills said he would like to be included in the group, with commissioner Stacey Hawkins agreeing to be an alternate.
The compensation and classification study looks at positions and evaluates job skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to perform duties and then determines the value of each position to the organization. Additionally, the study looks at the market values of jobs inside and outside of county government, identifies paths for career advancement, addresses the need for recruiting new employees, and reviews minimum qualifications for new employees.
Consent agenda items approved:
A raffle permit for the Gunflint Trail Historical Society was approved. The raffle will be held on May 29, 2022, at the Chik-Wauk Watercraft Building.
The following businesses revived seasonal liquor license renewals: Seagull Canoe Outfitter, Loon Lake Lodge, Voyageur Canoe Outfitters, Sawbill Canoe Outfitters and Gunflint Hills Golf Course.
Stephen Surbaugh was appointed to serve on the Economic Development Authority (EDA) board.
New hires:
Cody Scott and Michelle Lewis were hired as Public Safety Telecommunicator/ jailers.
Matthew Olson was hired as an Engineering Technician 1 in the highway department.
Rachael Schauer was hired to fill the position of a Social Worker 1-Adult Services position.
Josh Dix’s voluntary transfer to the maintenance technician position was approved.
Commissioners passed a resolution proclaiming April 26, 2022, as County Government Appreciation Day.
A resolution to redistrict county commissioner districts and create commissioner districts as presented at the board’s April 12 public hearing was approved. Also, commissioners approved the plan for two- and four-year terms to be elected this fall, 2022.
Cook County Highway Engineer Robbie Haas presented the low bid from Envirotech Services Inc. for Calcium Chloride. The bid came in at $258,000, some $28,000 over the estimate. Haas said commissioners could choose to pay less and get less calcium chloride this summer (calcium chloride keeps the dust down and strengthens gravel roads), asking commissioners which roads in their districts they would like to see skipped this summer. That comment drew laughs, and the bid was approved unanimously.
Commissioners voted 5-0 to follow the recommendation of the planning commission to deny the conditional/ interim use permit submitted by Jeff and Dana Bartheld for a private-use camping area that would allow up to three RV sites and two tent sites in an R-1 Zone District.
Tim Nelson, Land Director, came before the board with a proposal to form a short-term steering committee (30 days) that could develop recommendations for a review process of the vacation rental licensing program. Nelson said the vacation rental licensing program is supposed to be reviewed every three years, and this was year three. “It’s time to take a step back and take a comprehensive look at the ordinance and agreements,” he said, adding the steering committee would put a framework around the topic. He suggested the steering committee could be made up of himself, the county attorney, Bob Thompson and Joe Routh from the planning and zoning department, commissioner Ginny Stories with commissioner Robert Svaleson as an alternate and a few other members of the courthouse. A larger committee will be formed with members from the public when a plan is made.
The steering committee has to report to the county board no later than May 24.
A professional service agreement with Karvakko, P.A. for $4,900 was approved. Karvakko will do an independent fee analysis of the estimated costs for the engineering work for the county’s Airport Master Plan Project.
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