Stearns County commissioners form subcommittee to refine work-arrangements policy

The Stearns County Board of Commissioners voted to create a subcommittee to further refine a proposed county work-arrangements policy that would end full-time remote work and add expectations for regular on-site presence.

The subcommittee, proposed by Commissioner Clark and seconded on the floor, will include Commissioners Notch and Persky (Joel), members of administration (identified in the meeting as Mike and Jill) and staff as the administrator chooses. The motion set a goal of reporting back to the board at the next meeting or, if necessary, at the board retreat later in the year.

County administration introduced the policy item as “F‑2,” saying the draft removes the option for employees to work totally remotely and adds expectations that employees be on-site “with regularity to provide services, collaboration, and maximize service delivery.” Administration said managers would be expected to schedule regular in-person one-on-one meetings and team meetings and to maintain a visible professional appearance.

Commissioners who spoke during the discussion said they support revising the policy but disagreed on how prescriptive it should be. Commissioner Clark said she would rather resolve outstanding issues through a small working group than spend a long discussion at the full board meeting. Commissioner Notch emphasized the need to preserve human services and administrative coverage and asked that services available at the primary office be mirrored at the West location so people would not need to travel between sites to get help. Commissioner Persky raised concerns about requiring a fixed number of in-office days, saying that requirement could undo flexible schedules such as “four‑tens” and other arrangements used by some departments.

The board also discussed service access for residents who need walk‑in help downtown, and commissioners raised parking availability near the county building as a barrier for people seeking in‑person services.

The motion to form the subcommittee passed on a voice vote. The board directed administration to work with the named members and to report back at the next meeting if possible; several commissioners said they expect further meetings after the subcommittee completes draft language.

Commissioners and staff repeatedly cautioned that any subcommittee work must respect open‑meeting laws; Commissioner Clark and others said they would include the incoming fifth commissioner in future deliberations.

What happens next: administration will convene the subcommittee to narrow policy language, add measurable parameters where possible, and return with a staff‑draft recommendation to the board.