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<br />Kathy Hogan <br />Executive Director <br /> <br />Adult Services <br />701-241-5747 <br /> <br />Fax 701-239-6821 <br /> <br />Family & Children Services <br />701-241-5765 <br /> <br />Fax 701-241-5775 <br /> <br />P.O. Box3106 <br />Fargo, ND 58108 <br /> <br />.. .. .. <br /> <br />Administration <br />701-241-5761 <br /> <br />Economic Assistance <br />701-241-5761 <br /> <br />Fax 701-239-6820 <br /> <br />P.O. Box 2986 <br />Fargo, ND 58108 <br /> <br />TDD 701-239-6784 <br /> <br />Cass County Government Annex <br />1010 - 2nd Avenue South <br />Fargo, North Dakota 58103 <br /> <br />Agenda Item #6 <br /> <br />Cass County Social Service Board <br />Kathy Hogan <br />Legislative issues impacting Social Service employees <br />May 1, 2007 <br /> <br />July 1, 2007 salary adjustments <br /> <br />During the legislative session, there were two critical bills that impacted county Social <br />Service employees. The state employee salary bill changed the overall process for <br />determining the salary scales for classified employees including county Social Service <br />employees. Human Resource Management Services presented and received approval for <br />a new process for determining salary scales for classified employees based on their <br />biennial salary study of other states. They have moved to modifying the state scales to <br />95% of other states with fluctuations among the steps based on the salary study. This <br />will mean that scales will be adjusted every two years with various percentage <br />adjustments from step to step. Attached is a summary of the impact of these new scales <br />for Social Service employees. <br /> <br />This is a new methodology for establishing state salary scales but it will allow us to <br />increase salaries for Social Service employees frozen by the state maximums. In June <br />2007, 84 Social Service employees will not be paid according to the Cass County salary <br />scale. If the new state salary scale is implemented July 1,2007 that will leave 69 of <br />those 84 employees still frozen. Several will only receive a portion of their county step <br />between July and December. In the 2007 budget, we anticipated a 4% state scale <br />adjustment for July 1, 2007. To implement the new state salary scale it will cost <br />approximately $53,000 dollars which is available by using a portion of the current <br />carryover reserves or by using anticipated new revenue that was not budgeted but that <br />has been approved in other pieces of legislation. This request will be forwarded to the <br />Cass County Commission for approval as a budget adjustment. <br /> <br />Proposed motion: <br />I move the approval of the implementation of the new state salary scales for social <br />service employees effective July 1,2007 and support the $53,000 budget <br />adjustment. <br /> <br />ISSUE TWO MERIT SYSTEM OPT-OUT <br /> <br />With the passage of the merit system opt-out legislation, there will be a series of options <br />that Cass County will need to consider. First, the county will need to determine if it <br />wishes to pursue the merit system opt-out option. Secondly, the county will need to <br />develop a plan to assure compliance with federal requirements and with state <br />administrative rules, including modification of the county Personnel Policies and <br />procedures to comply with federal/state rules. Many social service employees closely <br />monitored this legislative initiative and look forward to moving forward in building a <br />more integrated personnel system within Cass County. <br /> <br />( over) <br />