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Commission declines immediate change to golf course superintendent classification; discusses comp time option
Summary
Fallon County commissioners debated whether to advertise the golf course superintendent job as permanent or seasonal and considered offering compensatory time as an incentive. A motion to allow flexible permanent/seasonal classification received no second and the position remains advertised as permanent for now.
Fallon County commissioners discussed whether to advertise the golf course superintendent position as permanent or seasonal and whether the county should offer compensatory time as an incentive.
The discussion followed staff questions about past hires and how prior recruitment had proceeded. Kimberly (staff member) reminded commissioners that when the county changed the posting in 2021, applicants made different choices about classification and the county had ultimately hired a candidate who wanted permanent status. She said there is no clear evidence that classifying the job as seasonal increased or decreased applications.
Commissioner Roy argued against reopening the permanent/seasonal arrangement, saying the attempt in 2021 “didn’t work.” Other commissioners pressed for flexibility in the advertisement so applicants could indicate either permanent or seasonal status. Several commissioners proposed offering compensatory time for permanent hires to reduce overtime costs in summer and give employees scheduled leave in winter. Commissioners and staff discussed a likely statutory or policy cap on compensatory hours (figures near “120 hours” were mentioned) and whether such a benefit could be offered only to permanent employees because seasonals may not qualify.
A motion to change the job description to explicitly allow either seasonal or permanent classification was made but received no second, and county staff said the ad will remain for a permanent position for now. Commissioners asked staff to research the legal limits on compensatory time (Montana operations manual or statute) and report back; staff agreed to provide that guidance and to hold the advertisement until the commission decides whether to run it more broadly.
Why it matters: classification and leave policy affect recruitment, county payroll costs and whether the golf course can consistently staff busy summer months. Commissioners emphasized they did not want to act contrary to state rules and asked staff to confirm statutory or policy limits before changing benefits or classifications.
The county will keep the current permanent posting in place and staff will return with legal clarifications and a recommendation on compensatory time and advertisement scope.
