Board changes officer pay scale to attract applicants

Posted

During the Seward County Board of Commissioners’ Dec. 17 meeting, the board:

• heard from detention center director Maria Hatfield and human resources director Brea Ehmen about raising the pay grade for correctional officers in hopes of hiring more.

Hatfield said the Seward County Detention Center has been unsuccessful in hiring correctional officers since April and a ramped up grade system may help the county appear more competitive and gain interest.

The updated grade system now goes as follows: 

Three years or less of experience: Step 4;

Over three years of experience: Step 5;

Over 10 years: Step 6.

• appointed Clark Jackson as the District 5 Seward County Extension Board representative.

• reappointed Zach Steinmeyer as a District 2 Extension Board member.

• authorized board chairman John Culver to sign a community-based juvenile service grant for 2020-2021 with the Seward County Bridges organization for $84,852.

• was presented a resolution to allow county treasurer Bob Dahms to invest leftover liquid funds from tax season into a short-term federal investment trust with Union Bank and Trust in Lincoln.

The funds were previously handled by the Nebraska Public Agency Investment Trust based in Chicago, Illinois.

Deputy attorney Barb Armstead asked to look more closely at the agreement and documents that need to be signed before the resolution is passed. It will be discussed again at the board’s Dec. 23 meeting.

• authorized Culver to sign the 2019-2020 annual report from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and county noxious weed department.

The board then went into executive session to discuss personnel. No action was taken following the session.

The next Seward County Board of Commissioners meeting will be Tuesday, Dec. 23, at 9 a.m. at the courthouse.