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Superior Court urges converting two permanent part‑time detention posts into one benefited full‑time position
Summary
Court staff told Mason County commissioners that a union contract requires benefits for two permanent part‑time detention positions and recommended converting them into a single full‑time position to reduce overtime and scheduling problems; commissioners indicated support to move forward but gave no formal vote.
A Superior Court representative asked Mason County commissioners for permission to convert two permanent part‑time detention positions into a single full‑time position after a union contract obliges the county to pay benefits for the part‑time posts.
The court representative said the county had asked for two permanent part‑time positions without benefits but that the union contract requires those positions to receive benefits, creating an ongoing $40,000 annual cost if both positions are retained with benefits. “Our first choice would be to provide benefits to those 2 permanent part time positions because that's, we think, the best way to solve the problem we're in,” the representative said, and added that the second option — converting the two posts into a single benefited position — would solve most scheduling issues and save roughly $8,000 compared with providing benefits to both.
Detention staff described continuing overtime strains. The detention manager said recent shifts included a 16‑hour weekend assignment that left staff fatigued and that, with current staffing, she sometimes must drop her own work to cover shifts when employees call out. The court representative noted the facility runs two full‑time staff on duty and that other counties typically staff three to seven, calling the county facility “the lowest staffing numbers in the state.”
Commissioners and staff discussed options if population rises, including reopening a dormitory space and the limits of contracting juveniles out of county. The court representative said it is the court’s position that youth should remain in the county when possible to maintain family contact and local integration; contracting out would require additional budget approval.
The commissioners expressed agreement with the recommendation to convert the two posts into one full‑time position and to proceed with recruitment, but the record shows no formal vote on the change at this briefing.
The matter will be handled administratively and returned to the commission as required for budget or hiring approvals.
