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Scott County Council considers Ordinance 2025-1 to revise emergency closing pay policy after winter storm
Summary
The Scott County Council introduced Ordinance 2025-1 to replace personnel policy 3.18 on emergency closings; discussion focused on which employees get compensatory time or pay and timing of payment for overtime worked during the recent snowstorm.
At a Jan. 23 special meeting, the Scott County Council took up Ordinance 2025-1, an amendment to the Scott County personnel policies and handbook that replaces the county's emergency closing policy (section 3.18).
The ordinance text on the table says it is intended to update the county's personnel handbook to reflect how the county compensates employees after emergency closings. Council members said the change responds to a recent snowstorm when the commissioners closed the courthouse for safety and some employees were scheduled to work.
The revision specifies compensation options for employees affected by emergency closures. Council discussion identified groups considered emergency personnel under the draft policy (dispatch, sheriff's department, highway and EMS) and said eligible employees would receive either compensatory time later in the calendar year or pay for hours worked on a designated emergency day, depending on departmental arrangements worked out between commissioners and directors.
John Collins moved to accept Ordinance 2025-1; John Lusby seconded. Council members asked how quickly employees would receive pay for hours already worked. Auditor Jennifer said the change could not be implemented on the current pay period because payroll for that period had already been processed: "It won't be on this pay period ... It'll have to be the next pay period." When asked whether the county could issue off-cycle checks to pay overtime sooner, the auditor said she would "prefer not to" because it requires extra administrative work.
Council members noted that the number of employees affected by immediate overtime payments likely would be small, singling out dispatchers as an example. The transcript does not include a roll-call tally or an explicit record of the ordinance's final vote or formal adoption at this meeting.
Council members agreed to proceed with the motion on the ordinance and to finalize payroll timing with the auditor and department directors as staff implements the revised policy.
