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FARMINGTON – Commissioners approved two previously-scheduled raises for county employees at Tuesday’s meeting, as well as adding a new part-time position to the District Attorney’s Office.
Officials typically begin working at the county at a reduced rate of pay for the first six months. Once this probationary period ends, they begin receiving their baseline salary or hourly wage. Commissioners unanimously approved raising Jail Manager Doug Blauvelt from a starting, six-month salary of $20,488 to an annual salary of $42,390.
Franklin County Sheriff Dennis Pike said that he had been more than satisfied with Blauvelt’s performance so far, calling it “exceptional,” and commissioners acknowledged that the manager put in far more than 40 hours a week. The position’s salary was set last year at the same level as the county’s emergency management agency director, as the commissioners believed that the two positions had similar levels of responsibility.
Similarly, commissioners approved raising the hourly wage of Dispatcher Brad Timberlake, who completed his six-month probationary period, from $12.31 an hour to $14.71 an hour. This raise moves the dispatcher to a pay scale comparable to a dispatcher with four years of experience, as Timberlake had worked at other centers before coming to Franklin County. The raise is included within the union contract that covers many Franklin County employees.
Commissioners also met in executive session with Assistant District Attorney Andrew Robinson, for a personnel-related issue. Following that session, commissioners moved to authorize his office to create and fill a part-time, temporary secretarial position. The individual would work 20 hours a week and make $10 an hour.
Funding for the position will be found in the District Attorney Office’s budget, with the commissioners utilizing their own part-time clerical assistance line should funding be insufficient. Robinson also said that he intended to ask the commissioners to make the part-time position permanent during the next budget process.
In other business, commissioners approved the hiring of a full-time, temporary corrections officer. Carla York will fill a position left temporarily vacant due to an employee with health issues. Commissioners also approved the hiring of Tyler Richards as a full-time dispatcher, replacing the retiring Dispatcher William Hoyt. Richards had previously worked for the county as a dispatcher in a part-time capacity.
Commissioners also met briefly with department heads, after the county administration reported receiving questions about a cost-of-living increase that had been budgeted for last year. Although a 2 percent increase had been budgeted and assessed to the towns, commissioners had not increased non-union employee salaries on Jan. 1.
Commissioner Gary McGrane, of Jay, said that no increase would be issued at this time, as the county and union employees have yet to complete negotiations.
“It’s premature to give an increase,” McGrane noted, “and preempt the negotiations.”
