Commission Briefs

Career incentive pay policy approved

Mason County commissioners approved the adoption of a new pay and benefit policy and added it into the Mason County Personnel Policy.

According to the information packet, the budget will be affected for Public Works with a $35,000 increase prorated for the remainder of 2022, $40,000 per year for eligible positions that could achieve the incentive and the auditor and financial services $10,000 increase prorated for the remainder of 2022.

The reason for the pay policy is to recognize and encourage staff to continually learn skills and attain certifications or licenses that benefit themselves and will also provide the county with a better trained workforce.

Commissioners Kevin Shutty and Randy Neatherlin voted to approve the policy while commissioner Sharon Trask voted against.

County Administrator Mark Neary briefed the commissioners on the agenda item, noting the intent is to encourage people who work for Mason County to continue to work for the county by giving them incentives to acquire more certifications and training.

“As we look forward into the future, I’ve received a couple of responses to an email that I sent out to elected officials and department heads regarding other opportunities for us to create this incentive program within departments and offices and have received a few back,” Neary said. “Mike Dorcy, our prosecuting attorney, sent me some opportunities or options for recognizing individuals who potentially achieve paralegal status or obtain a JED degree. I think there’s other opportunities within the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office once they have the necessary skill sets, they’re able to handle different types of court cases. There’s opportunities in there.”

Trask said she voted against adoption because she doesn’t want to open it up to the entire county right now. She said she wants a salary survey conducted first “to get things in line and then go forward with the incentives.”

“The past three years, I was working with the previous support services director and there’s definitely some improvements that need to be done for our non-repped folks and so I just feel like the survey should be done before we go into the incentives,” Trask said during the meeting. “We should also figure out how many licenses, how many certificates, other departments, where they fit into this too so I can’t move forward with this at this time.”

Neatherlin said he was voting in favor of it because it’s one of the best things the commission has done in many years. He added it is to incentivize the employees the county already has, to learn more and become better at their job and compensating employees for that.

“This is an incentive to get people to be better and I want to remind everybody, although it does not encompass everything, I’ve said this line over and over again, the enemy of good is perfect and you can’t have perfect, you ought to start somewhere. This is a great place to start,” Neatherlin said during the meeting.

Shutty said he supported this because this is a first step to rewarding county employees for earning more education and certifications.

“I think the one big takeaway here is we’re going to pilot this, we’re going to see how this works, we’re going to continue to build on this policy and I look forward to conversations in the future with our fellow electeds and department heads to identify those areas where we can continue to grow folks in their career here in Mason County,” Shutty said.

Rescue Plan Act money approved

Mason County commissioners approved the allocation of American Rescue Plan Act money allocation at the May 24 meeting.

According to the information packet, the commissioners approved money allocated to the Mason County jail and elevator and doors and the ARPA temporary staff until Dec. 31, 2026. The commissioners approved $80,000 for the jail elevator and doors and $250,000 for temporary county staff to address COVID.

No-objection liquor license approved

The county commissioners signed and approved a letter of no objection for a special occasion liquor license application for United Angels 4 Pets event Friday.

According to the information packet, the event is Friday with other events scheduled for July 29, Aug. 26 and Sept. 30 at the White Barn Home and Décor in Belfair.

Commissioner Randy Neatherlin abstained from the vote, which was approved by commissioners Kevin Shutty and Sharon Trask. Neatherlin abstained from the vote because his food business will be at the event and he didn’t want to have the appearance of a conflict of interest.

County road closures in June and July

Mason County commissioners approved county road closures in June and July in order to replace two culverts.

According to the information packet, Belfair Tahuya Road will be closed from milepost 6.5 to 7.47 at 7 a.m. June 13 to 4 p.m. June 17. The detour for local residents and emergency vehicles will be on North Shore Road. The second road closure will be on North Shore Road along Cady Creek from milepost 6.9 to 7 and will begin at 7 a.m. July 25 to 4 p.m. July 29. The detour will be to Belfair Tahuya Road.

The intent of the road closures is to protect the safety of county crews and the traveling public. Both culverts along the roads will involve the removal of existing culverts and replacing it with a larger culvert that will improve fish passage, reduce maintenance and carry flows under the roads that serve the Tahuya Peninsula.

Superior court position created

Mason County commissioners approved the creation, posting and filling of an administrative security/judicial assistant position in superior court.

According to the information packet, superior court requested the approval of a proposed reorganization of its administrative structure in order to better manage the three divisions of the court.

The request was mapped out in a three-phase approach. Commissioners approved phase one with the creation of the chief superior court administrator and juvenile detention manager positions. Phase two is underway and includes analysis of staffing and leadership roles within the general superior court division. Phase three will include a comprehensive look at the juvenile court division.

The staffing pattern for Mason County Superior Court included three judicial assistants for the two superior court judges and a part-time court commissioner with the superior court administrator position assisting as a “fourth judicial assistant,” according to the packet. Since the addition of a third judge in 2015, the court commissioner was increased to a full-time position to accommodate expanding judicial caseloads and added multiple additional therapeutic courts.

The county is continuing to evaluate the needs in the second phase of the reorganization and has reached a need for additional administrative support to manage the workflow in the Superior Court Administration office. The new chief superior court administrator is managing three departments of courts and is unable to assist with judicial assistant duties as the previous administrator did.

People interested in applying can go to masoncountywa.gov.

Public Works purchases flatbed equipment trailer

Public Works has purchased a flatbed equipment trailer after approval by Mason County commissioners.

According to the information packet, Public Works wanted the trailer to haul the smaller road maintenance equipment to job sites with fleet vehicles. A tilt trailer was being used for this work, which could only be towed by its 10-yard truck. Public Works stated the purchase frees up larger trucks to haul pup trailers and larger equipment to job sites, making for more efficient operations. Olympic Trailer & Truck Accessories of Olympia had the best price at $16,874.92.

The savings on other equipment purchases has allowed Public Works to remain under budget so far this year.

Juneteenth will be paid holiday

Mason County commissioners unanimously approved Juneteenth as a paid holiday at the May 24 commissioners meeting.

According to the information packet, the Memorandum of Understanding between Mason County and nine county bargaining units to include Juneteenth as a paid holiday. A resolution signed Aug. 3, 2021, amended Mason County Personnel Policy to include Juneteenth as a paid holiday for all Mason County employees.

Juneteenth is June 19 and commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans. June 19 is Sunday this year, and the federal holiday is recognized on Monday, June 20.