Legislative Committee - Regular Meeting

Good evening. Uh, tonight is our legislative committee, uh, November the 10th at 6:00. Um, we're going to go ahead and call this meeting to order. Um, taking role. Uh, we have one member, uh, absent. Uh, Commissioner Chambers is absent tonight. Everyone else is present. Um, if everyone would look over the agenda and see if you can see any modifications or anything to the agenda that we need to do. If not, I will entertain a motion to accept the agenda. I'll make that motion. Second. Commissioner Miller made the motion. Commissioner Smith seconded. All in favor?

I.

Okay. um approval and modification of the minutes of the previous meeting. Um Commissioner Chambers is our secretary and the minutes were not provided for tonight. So we will get those at our next meeting. Um nobody's here for public comments. No unfinished business. Uh we'll move on to new business. Um new business uh public comment policy. This is something um that we have visited last meeting. um and sent that back to policy and procedures for a revision. And so um Commissioner Miller is on that committee so he can help out with this. But um it was sent back to us u one of our problems that we had during the discussion was about the uh donation of minutes. Um it was sent back because of um um our concern about that letting uh residents donate time to people um speaking um that was sent back and Commissioner Hurstman who I think is is he the chair.

Yes.

Um of polish and procedure uh got with me and said that was a um state recommendation that we not do that um um because it could just make it go on forever. And so um they said they are highly recommending that counties don't do that. So they sent it back as it stood with no still no donation of minutes. Um there was also a revision um um also for the um to add um that those the the way the public comments is is three minutes um 10 slots. So basically 30 minutes but that would be per agenda item um that would be on the um for public comments. Um so for example if we had five new items that would be five 30 minute blocks that would be available for public to speak. Um also about that uh would be uh also that um currently it is for residents. The way it's worded there, you must be a county resident. Um that is also a change to be county resident or property owner. Um to give people who own property who still pay taxes here a chance to speak on any items that might affect them as a property owner. Um, so that was the item that was the two uh things that were uh sent back to us for the public comment policy. Do we have any questions or discussion on

Mr. Miller? Did I summarize it pretty good? You did well. Okay. We took a fair amount of time beating it back and forth and Sure. massaging it to what I think is a better policy. That way, if someone signed up on the sheet and they could be number 45 on the sheet, then the first uh 30 minutes wouldn't be taken by somebody else that want to had a different item they want to talk about.

Sure. Sure. And I agree. I mean, it shouldn't be just the first 10 that just happened to show up early and be able to get on the list. Um, if you had something that you thought was pertinent to your situation that was on the agenda, you were to be able to speak on it. So, with that being said, if we don't have anything, I would entertain a motion to accept the policy as presented by policy and procedure to us. I would make that motion. Okay. Commissioner Miller made made the motion. Do I hear a second? I'll second. Okay. Commissioner Smith seconded. All in favor? I I.

Okay. Motion passed. Um the next thing on their agenda is about the separation policy. Currently, our separation policy states that um if you it's worded voluntary um u separation. Uh currently if the county pays for any training um um such as like us uh at the sheriff's office where um other job is um that if we send somebody to the academy and or training and it costs then for two years that they're employed they're basically paying back that um that expense of training back to the county by getting work done. um if they happen to leave within say a year that training if the training cost $2,000 um and they leave after a year uh it's prorated 50% they would owe the county back $1,000. Um the way the current policy says it says voluntary submitt um that means that if they just happen to quit that is the only time that they are afforded to have to pay it back. But if they're a bad employee, if they do something that's against the policy or rules and they get terminated, technically under the policy right now, they would not have to pay that back. Um the policy and procedures looked at this and had it added um that uh the revision to the policy regarding the reimbursement to the county for training um slashcertification um separation before two years of service. Uh remove voluntary separation and add and leave just separation um for the rebursement will pertain to resignations as well as terminations. Is that pretty much what they did?

Yes. Okay. Um, any questions? If someone quit and owed part of the money back, I mean, how would you go about collecting if they just took took off and left? If they did, they get that last check. Certainly. Yes, sir. Um, they they try to get what is if it's available for the last check. Now, there isn't a question of if you owe $1,000 and your last check's 500, well, where's the other 500? I think that would be a part that we would then have to go to our county attorney

and try to seek some type of recourse civily to obtain that if they refuse to just pay it back. Um, I know a lot of times a lot of departments they will tell them and sometimes they come and pay it, sometimes they don't. Most people will have some uh sick leave or vacation or something. Sure. That does add it up to the point that they do. most cases

honestly right now I I don't know of any I mean I know training can be expensive but top of my head as far as like some of the most expensive training really and truly some of the most expensive training is stuff that we do um like some of our classes um like the academy typically costs um when they're not doing it right now like I said they're doing some of for free now um under the new uh state government guidelines, but it typically before they done that it was like I think it was up to five grand a person to send somebody. So I mean if somebody left a year into it that's $2,500 and I mean they they might be able to have that if they done had like Dwight said Commissioner Miller said have some vacation in sick they would be able to get it reimbured. So,

any other questions? I guess it was really just a very simple change. It it was adding in that uh whatever separation. Yeah. It doesn't matter

includes it. Um because as of like we said as of right now uh the way the policy sets um it's only if you decide to quit on your own if you were happen to be a bad employee had u u your reviews and um uh was done and uh evaluations were done and they chose to separate you then technically right now you wouldn't be afforded to have to pay it back. And and if anybody thought about that to any extent, they would just figure out how to get fired,

right? Just before I quit, I would just, hey, I've done got this job lined up. I'll just get fired and that way I don't have to pay it back. I've got me a job and I'm ready to go. So Well, that's a good revision. So, um, that being said, do I hear a motion to accept as presented by policy and procedure? I'll make a motion. Okay. Commissioner Brown made the motion. Do I hear a second? I'll second. Commissioner Smith second. All in favor? I

I uh motion carries. Um any announcements from anybody on anything? I did have someone had a question basically. I don't know that it's a question, but a concern

that uh will likely come up either policy and procedures or legislative that there's been some concern about uh people using time during work and uh using social media or telephone etc. I'm not sure how that's going to be addressed, but it's always going to be a problem. Ever since we got uh basically smart smartphones. Sure.

So, if anybody's got any comments or suggestions, kick around. We're not going,

you know, inevitably. Sure. But I um and I think inevitably, you know, if the county does um draft one, just my opinion, um it would give the the department heads some teeth if they don't already have their own policy. Um that's of either social media policy or cell phone usage while at work. Um I mean, I know we all live and breathe by the cell phone now. Um whether it's being by appointments or just whatever. Um I know we all use them. Uh in fact, I using mine tonight read off what policy had forwarded. Um but I I do agree. Um I mean it is something that if it does become a problem. Inevitably though, the department head's going to be the have to be the one to enforce it. Um you know, we as a as a committee or as a legislative body don't have the power to fire anybody if they're violating it. I don't know that we've got any kind of policy addressing it.

The concern that because I think the social media policy that the county has is just talking about basically what you put out there in in context. I don't think it has anything to say about while on, you know, while on duty, while at work, that kind of thing. I don't think it has anything that it may. It's been a while since I've read it. I know maybe a few years ago there was apparently the county's got the capability to monitor uh every traffic on the internet. Oh, sure.

So apparently a few years ago uh that information was passed out to show how many percentage minutes Sure. employees were using right things like that during work time. So sure it probably is something if we can address it ought to be talked about tried to come up with something but you know the problem is with no policy one say a department head or elected official or whoever is out on a limb by themselves pretty much without a policy.

Sure. And I'm just pleased that somebody would be uh caring enough to want something addressed about it. Sure. Anything else? The way our meetings go, unless anybody has any objection, is just as as needed. Uh is that still good with everybody? Okay. Um, I mean, if we don't have anything, I don't think it's just to have a meeting, just to have one. I agree. Um, so, um, okay. Um, our next meeting will be called as needed. Uh, if nothing else, I will entertain a motion to adjourn.

I'll make that motion. Commissioner Miller, I'll second. Commissioner Smith. All in favor? I I thank y'all. Thank you. always been in favor. We don't have much. It's not worth a meeting, right? If it's not critical, just call the meeting. I was kind of I was kind of skeptical about this one only having two items. I was like,

got it done. Got it over with. So, it'll go full commission next week. So, because it didn't get done last time. Sure. Everybody's closed tomorrow. Yeah. Yeah. It's county holiday. You're not. We're not. We're not. Yeah. We're not. So saying we doze but never close.

Do we have one? Manchester. Well, maybe that's where it was, but I don't know. Was it?

I don't know. I just saw pictures. They've had one several years. But on there it says No, we're still live.

No, there. No, you just hit presentation mode.