Staff writer
County commissioners voted Monday to grant overtime pay to road and bridge employees and give farmers and others who helped clear roads during recent snowstorms a tax reduction
The county declared an emergency two weeks ago when heavy snow, ice, bitter temperatures, and high winds made many roads impassable for days.
Snowplows and firefighters with backhoes had to clear roads ahead of ambulances, and many farmers cleared roads and pulled cars out of snowdrifts and ditches.
“We haven’t had a storm like this in decades, and it’s good people that helped us out,” commission chairman Dave Mueller said Monday.
Road and bridge department employees put in many extra hours. The county’s policy normally is that workers get paid time off instead of overtime pay.
Commissioners voted Monday to pay overtime to employees who cleared roads between Jan. 9 and today.
After discussion last week about how to thank farmers and others who helped clear roads, county counsel Brad Jantz said he would draw up an application for people who voluntarily helped.
At Monday’s meeting, Jantz showed commissioners an application form those who helped clear roads could use.
Forms will be posted on the county website so people can fill them out online or print them and turn them in.
In other business Monday, commissioners:
- Listened to a presentation about the Kansas police and firefighters retirement from Paige Ashley, a representative of Kansas Public Employees Retirement. The program costs more money but provides more generous retirement, disability, and death benefits.
- Listened to zoning director Sharon Omstead discuss an environmental protection grant available to landowners.
- Heard an end-of-year report from park and lake director Isaac Hett.