Fallon County commissioners debate making golf course superintendent permanent or seasonal, consider comp time incentive

Fallon County commissioners discussed whether to advertise the golf course superintendent position as either “permanent or seasonal” and whether to offer compensatory (comp) time as an incentive for candidates.

The change under consideration would allow the hiring advertisement to specify that the successful applicant could choose permanent or seasonal employment. Commissioners also discussed whether offering comp time in winter months — instead of overtime pay — might make the position more attractive and reduce county overtime costs.

The discussion included questions about the legal limits and practical rules for comp time. County staff said they did not have the statutes or policy memoranda immediately at hand but agreed to check whether any statutory limits apply and to report back. Commissioners discussed that comp time accruals typically have a cap (one person suggested roughly 120 hours) and that compensatory time arrangements often require yearly redetermination and approvals for its use. Staff noted differences in whether comp time is available to nonexempt or seasonal employees and that offering comp time to one department raises fairness questions among other departments.

Commissioner discussion also covered operational impacts: a superintendent who chooses seasonal status could draw unemployment when not working in winter if legally eligible, while a permanent hire could be offered comp time as a negotiated benefit. Commissioners voiced mixed views: some recalled an earlier attempt in 2021 that “didn’t work,” while others favored advertising flexibility and seeing whether comp time was legally permissible and administratively practical.

A motion to change the job description to explicitly allow “permanent or seasonal” and to give the hiring more flexibility was moved but failed for lack of a second; the county’s advertised position will remain as permanent until further direction. Staff agreed to confirm statutory limits or policy on comp time and to return with that information. The commission told staff to hold running additional advertising until the board confirms how it wants the position advertised and whether to expand outreach areas (local paper, regional outlets) while staff obtains the comp time guidance.

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to report back on whether comp time is permitted for this role and, if so, what the statutory or Montana Operations Manual caps are; staff said they would provide that information and await further direction on whether to re-run or expand the recruitment advertisement.