Salary board takes action on grievances, positions
The Fayette County Salary Board decided to hang onto $3,000 that appeared earmarked for Chief Clerk Amy Revak in an effort to maintain some budgetary surplus in case administrative costs arise during the remainder of the year.
County commissioners Al Ambrosini, Vincent Zapotosky and Angela Zimmerlink, along with county Controller Sean Lally, voted unanimously Wednesday to retain the $3,000 that appears reimbursable to the county clerk through the Safe Haven Grant.
Dominick Carnicella, human resource director through Felice Associates of Greensburg, said that the money is provided for Revak through the grant because of her additional work as the governmental representative and financial point of contact for the administration of the grant and that Revak is due to earn the annual stipend through November 2015.
However, the board decided to keep the money in the budget to offset possible administrative costs.
In another move Wednesday, the board moved to reclassify a criminal division secretary in the Clerk of Courts office to include the title of bench warrant clerk after reviewing a grievance filed with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) on behalf of secretary Margie Yauger.
Janice Snyder, Yauger’s department director, said that the grievance was filed after Yauger took on new responsibilities involving work with bench warrants, including preparing and cataloging the warrants for the entire county.
Under the move, Yauger will receive a pay raise of $1.05 and will also receive another pay increase later this year when she reaches her three-years service with the county.
The board also unanimously approved a move to create a new department clerk for adult probation.
The person who fills that post will work to maintain and organize the newly formed Mental Health Court, as well as work in other new divisions that are expected to begin soon, including Veterans Court and DUI Court.
Fayette County President Judge John F. Wagner Jr. said the new position will pay $9.69 an hour and will be funded for the remainder of the year with money collected through adult probation. At the end of the fiscal year, the board will evaluate the position and potential funding for any extension of the position.
The board also created nine new positions for Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation (FACT) at Wednesday’s meeting.
According to FACT director Lori Groover-Smith, one of the county’s subcontractors for local transportation, Goodwill Industries, has not renewed its contract with the county to provide transportation services for the Shared Ride program.
The board approved the creating of a new FACT dispatcher, four full-time bus drivers and four part-time drivers to continue the service to county residents.
Groover-Smith noted that the Goodwill contract cost the county $462,000 in 2013 and that the creation of the new positions will save the county about $30,000.
“The shared ride program is a crucial service that provides transportation services to area dialysis patients and patients on chemotherapy,” Zapotosky said.
In other business, the board:
n Tabled motions to reclassify three employees at the Fayette County 911 Center that would have included modest pay increases. The board said the grievances filed regarding the three positions will be re-evaluated in the coming year.
n Reclassified a transportation clerk with FACT and an accounts clerk with the tax claim office providing each position with 70-cent hourly wage increases.
n Approved the reclassification of two receptionist positions in the commissioner’s office after examining the expanded duties in each case.
n Took no action on a request regarding the creation of an electrician’s position in buildings and grounds due to lack of funds to make such an addition.
n Created two “floating” 911 dispatcher positions for the county’s Emergency Management Agency and 911 center. The positions will pay $12.79 an hour and will be funded through money in the county’s 911 budget.
n Took no action on a motion to consider creating two lieutenant positions in the Fayette County Prison.
n Created 10 part-time positions for correction officers at the prison to help offset overtime concerns. The positions will pay $15.62 an hour.