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MITCHELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS â€“ Monday, July 17, 2023

By Terry Bailey

The Mitchell County Commissioners conducted their regular business meeting on Monday, July 17. All Commissioners and the County Clerk were present.
Lynne Imboden, assistant County Clerk, was present to discuss the County's Shared Leave Policy and the County's Smoking Policy.
Quoting from the policy, "Mitchell County allows employees to voluntarily donate earned vacation to benefit another employee facing a qualifying medical emergency or serious medical condition. Shared Vacation may be granted if ALL the following conditions are met:
1 The recipient employee must have been employed by Mitchell County for at least one year.
2. The recipient or member of the recipient's family (spouse, child, mother, or father) must be experiencing a medical emergency or serious, or life-threatening illness, injury, impairment or physical or mental condition. (For example, heart attack, cancer, inpatient care, hospice care or other regular and continuing medical care - Qualifying Reason).
3. The Qualifying Reason must require the employee to take extended time away from work that will result in substantial loss of income for the employee because the employee has exhausted all paid leave available.
The Commissioners and Imboden spent considerable time reviewing the "fine print" of the policy to clarify what and what is not possible under this policy. One major point is that a contributing employee must donate earned vacation time to a specific employee. An employee cannot donate time to a general pool that can be used by anyone, anytime. The donation must be to a specific individual for a specific qualifying reason.
A copy of this voluntary donation of earned vacation time is available at the County Clerk's office for anyone wishing to examine the details of the policy.
The Commissioners and Imboden also discussed the County's Tobacco-Free Workplace environment policy. Once again quoting from the County Policy Handbook: "The County has adopted a Tobacco-Free Workplace Policy whereby Tobacco and smokeless tobacco or vaping devices/e-cigarettes are prohibited inside all County properties, shops, vehicles, or machinery."
This policy applies to all employees, customers, suppliers, and visitors. County supervisors are expected to enforce the policy. Employees violating this policy will be subject to disciplinary action.
The Commissioners realized that smoking is a very pervasive habit and is a difficult habit to break. However, the Commissioners expressed a desire for all supervisors to strictly enforce this policy with fail or exception.
The Commissioners approved a Neighborhood Revitalization Grant for Travis and Elizabeth Krone for the construction of an owner inhabited 60'x80'x16' Balen steel building in the amount of $329,500.
Missy McGinnis, Emergency Medical Services Director, stopped by to update the Commissioners on the activities of her program.
Having addressed all activities on the printed agenda, the meeting was adjourned.

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