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Commissioners tackle ways to deal with staffing shortages
McCOOK, Neb. — Like many employers, the Red Willow County Jail is finding itself short-staffed this fall, with five of 12 staff members sidelined by the pandemic.
Jail Administrator Dee Schilz said while five are out with positive COVID tests, two new staff members are ready to start but they will require three weeks of training.
Commissioner Randy Dean suggested the county look into paying hourly bonuses in addition to regular salaries to staff members willing to pick up extra shifts, a practice that has been successful at Hillcrest Nursing Home, where he is a board member.
American Rescue Plan Act funding has previously been available to help with staffing issues, but it is uncertain whether it still available. County Clerk Tami Teel advised Schilz to keep careful records of required overtime for possible reimbursement.
The sheriff’s office is also short-staffed, but one new deputy is expected to graduate from training on Thursday, according to Sheriff Alan Kotschwar.
Kotschwar also showed commissioners architects’ drawings of the jail, which was built with the idea that a meeting room could be converted to dorm-type housing for five inmates.
Since the jail has become more crowded, and social distancing has become important, officials are giving the idea serious consideration.
Commissioners also briefly considered, then tabled, a request from the McCook City Council to consider the use of ARPA funds to help pay for new computer control equipment for the city’s water department, costing a total of $165,280.
All of the city’s ARPA funding has been committed to projects such as $762,000 for new radio equipment for the police dispatching center as well as other infrastructure.
The letter, signed by City Attorney Nathan Mustion, pointed out that the latest census indicates that 7,587 of Red Willow County’s 10,768 people live in McCook, or 70% of the county’s population.
While saying she was not opposed to using county funds, Commissioner Cayla Richards said the county needs to make sure it could covered its own needs first.
Her motion to table the request was adopted unanimously. The county has hired a consultant to make sure ARPA funds are spent correctly, and he had questions as to whether the city’s use of them for radio gear was allowed.
Commissioners have repeatedly expressed concerns about being forced to pay back pandemic funds that might be determined to have been spent contrary to federal rules.
Commissioners approved an interlocal agreement with the University of Nebraska under which the county provides one office administrator and an office for the extension service.
Ben Dutton, who oversees extension services in 13 counties, said he appreciates Red Willow County’s relationship with the service.
“Thank you guys for supporting extension,” he told commissioners Monday morning.
“You’ve been really reasonable with us,” he said.
The extension service provides services such as 4-H, early childhood support, rural prosperity, beef systems, disaster education, community environment, water and integrated cropping, food, nutrition and health.
While county extension agents were traditionally expected to be knowledgeable about many subjects, Dutton said the extension service has more recently adopted a system whereby questions are directed to experts in specific areas.
He said a new rural prosperity staff member would soon be joining the office, which will then become fully staffed.
In routine business, commissioners approved four tax roll corrections requested by County Treasurer Crystal Dack, and the closing of a youth services grant fund that has been unused for a decade and transfer of the $13,156.69 in the account to the general fund.
The board also approved accounts payable totaling $41,427.20, including $15,000 in health insurance premiums.