Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Payroll And Administration topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Codington County approves Time Clock Plus system for countywide timekeeping
Summary
The Codington County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a five‑year agreement to implement Time Clock Plus (TCP) to automate employee timekeeping, with an initial implementation cost and annual licensing fees; the auditor and sheriff’s office outlined implementation, training and hardware considerations.
Codington County commissioners on Feb. 11 voted to approve a contract to implement a Time Clock Plus (TCP) automated timekeeping system for county employees, after a presentation from county law‑enforcement staff and TCP representatives.
The vote, moved by Commissioner Gable and seconded by Commissioner McElhaney, passed on a voice vote. The county recorded no roll‑call tally during the meeting; the chair said, “All in favor, say aye,” and the motion carried.
County Chief Deputy Brent Solon of the Codington County Sheriff’s Office introduced the item and told commissioners the department had ‘‘been trying to figure out a way to to do timekeeping better within the county’’ and that jail scheduling and shift complexity made accurate accounting especially important. Solon said the system is intended to reduce manual corrections to timesheets and improve accountability.
Vendor representatives from Time Clock Plus gave a high‑level demonstration. A TCP speaker said the company has worked with state and local governments for more than 35 years and emphasized configuration to match different departments’ rules: ‘‘If they can use an ATM, they can use our system,’’ the vendor said, summarizing the company’s approach to usability for less‑tech‑savvy employees.
Cost and contract: County documents and the vendor said the initial implementation cost in the packet is $16,242 and the proposed annual license after implementation was quoted at $8,262 per year under a five‑year term obtained through a purchasing cooperative (an Omnia Partners cooperative discount). The vendor representative described the quote as based on an estimated 35 user licenses and said the county could choose a shorter contract term (three or four years) if preferred. The vendor also presented a five‑year price‑lock as an advantage of the longer term.
Integration and operations: County staff and the auditor clarified that TCP will replace manual time sheet processing but does not provide a direct, automatic integration into the county’s payroll system (Ultra); payroll staff will still need to export or enter approved hours into Ultra for pay processing. The auditor said the system would reduce time spent verifying vouchers and time sheets and that the county had budgeted $19,000 for the purchase in the commissioners’ budget.
Implementation, hardware and training: The vendor proposed a flexible rollout that can include physical time clocks, tablets at remote shops, or a mobile app with geofencing for employees who receive a cell‑phone stipend. The mobile app fee is included in the quoted price, the vendor said, and there would be no separate charge to download or use the app. For remote locations with no reliable cellular or internet access, county staff discussed the option of placing a tablet with connectivity at the site. A tentative go‑live date cited in the packet was May 1, subject to change based on the county auditor’s office and implementation schedule.
Training will be provided to department heads by TCP, with department heads responsible for training their staff; the vendor said trainings will be recorded and available for employees who cannot attend live sessions. The auditor said she expects to be heavily involved in rollout and training oversight.
Vendor references and ROI: Commissioners asked for references; the vendor named Pennington, Roberts and Charles Mix counties in South Dakota as users. The vendor and a county presenter described time savings at Pennington County, where processing time for the sheriff’s office reportedly fell from two to three days to roughly four hours after TCP implementation. The vendor cautioned that such estimates are based on customer reports and national averages and are not guaranteed.
Next steps: Commissioner Gable moved the motion to approve implementation; McElhaney seconded. The chair called for the vote and the motion carried. Staff said they would coordinate contract execution, finalize the term length, plan hardware purchases where needed and begin the implementation and training schedule with TCP.
Ending: County officials said the contract will be paid from the commissioners’ budgeted funds and that the auditor’s office will oversee rollout and coordinate department training. No additional procurement language or statutory citations were presented during the discussion.
