Dodge County to consider increasing size of highway committee

Friday, May 16, 2008 10:30 PM CDT

JUNEAU - Increasing the size of the highway committee will be considered by the Dodge County Board of Supervisors when it meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the administration building in Juneau.

Last month the board debated and voted to keep the highway committee an elected panel instead of appointed.

However, Supervisor William Nass of the town of Emmet, who had served on the committee for many years, was not re-elected. Nass has served as vice chairman of the Wisconsin County Highway Association since June of 2006. He is scheduled to assume the office of chairman of the association in June. But one of the provisions of the Wisconsin County Highway Association requires that all officers of the association be either a county highway commissioner or a county highway committee member.

According to the resolution, being proposed by Chairman Russell Kottke and Supervisor Dave Frohling of Watertown, it would be in the best interest of the county to have a member of the county's highway committee serve as the state association's president.

To make that possible, the rules of order governing the county board of supervisors would need to be amended.

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The amended rule change, to take effective immediately through April 20, 2010, would allow for the highway committee to consist of six board members, all elected.

If the resolution is approved, the additional person would be elected at Tuesday's meeting and serve through April 20, 2010.

In other business, the board will consider union contracts with the health facilities, sheriff's department non-sworn employees along with the nurses union.

The contracts contain wage increases of 2.5 percent across the board, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2008, with an additional one-half percent wage increase set for July 1. In 2009, wages will increase 3 percent on Jan. 1, 2009, while in 2010, the contract calls for a 2 1/2 percent wage increase on Jan. 1, 2010, and another one-half percent wage increase on July 2, 2010.

Last month, the board approved similar union contracts with the highway employees, technical and support employees, and professional employees.

Wage increases are uniform for all six American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) AFL-CIO union locals and the nurses' federated union.

Management and nonunion employees may receive a 2.5 percent wage increase retroactive to Jan. 1 and another one-half percent wage increase on July 1.

If approved, the 23-step labor plan includes $10.03 an hour at labor grade one, up to $44.77 an hour for the highest labor grade, level 23. The pay increase is retroactive to Jan. 1. Starting July 1, the lowest level on the wage schedule would be $10.08, up to $44.99.

The county's human resources and labor negotiations committee is seeking the same across-the-board increase as granted to union employees “to maintain an equitable salary structure for Dodge County employees.”

Several other personnel issues will also be addressed at the meeting, including the creation of a circuit court commissioner position along with the creation of two full-time positions and abolishing two full-time positions in the information technology department.

Several amendments to the county's land-use code will also be addressed.