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BLUE EARTH-- The Faribault County Board of Commissioners, at their meeting on Tuesday, voted to proceed with a class comp and wage study to be conducted after the first of the year.
The prior class comp and wage study was performed in 2024. At that time, the commissioners had the option for a maintenance plan where portions of the county workforce would be evaluated (in thirds). However, that idea was tabled and the board decided to do the complete class comp and wage study every three years.
"We've seen a huge increase in applicants for county jobs since we did the last class comp and wage study," chairman Bruce Anderson pointed out.
Mark Goldberg of David Drown and Associates Human Resources, Inc. told the board the cost of the study will be $15,000.
"It will not affect this year's budget," county coordinator Brian Hov explained. "The report won't come out until next year."
Goldberg agreed, adding, "I would anticipate the report being completed no later than March and it may actually be done in February."
The motion to proceed with the class and comp wage study passed on a 3-2 vote with commissioners Greg Young and Bill Groskreutz joining Anderson in voting for the study while commissioners Gertrude Paschke and Tom Loveall voted against the motion.
The board also passed a motion approving the purchase of six new 8500 mobile radios at the State Bid price of $44,539.
"The FBI CJIS (Criminal Justice Information System) Security Policy mandates that any land mobile radio communications containing FBI CJI must be encrypted," sheriff's deputy Briar Bonin told the board. "Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), acting as the FBI CJIS Systems Agency for the state, enforces this policy."
Sheriff Scott Adams said the Faribault County Sheriff's Office has been taking steps to upgrade radio equipment to be compliant with the encryption standards.
"Through the upgrading process, it was discovered six of the current mobile radios were not capable of upgrading to dual encryption."
In other business:
-- The board passed a motion proclaiming Oct. 4-10 as 4-H week throughout Faribault County.
-- A resolution was passed in support of Operation Green Light for veterans, recognizing Nov. 4 through Nov. 11 as a time to honor and support United States military veterans.