Cheyenne County commissioners combine transportation roles, approve credit card and move to executive session

Cheyenne County commissioners at a special meeting moved to combine the county transportation dispatcher and transportation coordinator into a single full‑time position and approved a county credit card for transportation expenses, leaders said. The actions followed a recent personnel change in the department and staff requests for clearer operational supports.

An unidentified speaker summarized the background, saying a prior Nov. 15 motion had terminated Mr. Hautland as director and appointed Ms. Andres; the speaker added that "Sharissa was not terminated as the dispatcher" and was therefore currently performing both jobs. Commissioner action at the meeting formalized the change by combining the two part‑time roles into one salaried full‑time post. "So technically, she's holding two part time positions at this point in time," the speaker said as commissioners discussed whether the change should be treated as a lateral move for benefits purposes.

The motion to combine positions was made by Speaker 2 and seconded by Speaker 3; the chair called for the question and commissioners present responded "aye," with no recorded opposition. Commissioners deferred setting a final wage during the public portion of the meeting while they reviewed figures; staff cited prior pay figures for the director and dispatcher (examples discussed in the meeting included roughly $1,007.38 and about $1,100 per month) and estimated a combined payroll of about $2,139.24. Staff said grant reimbursement covers a portion of transportation payroll: "you're reimbursed 80% federal," a staff member said, while noting the state administrative share is smaller.

Separately, commissioners approved issuing a county credit card for transportation with the director's name on it so fuel and related vendor charges can be paid directly; Speaker 3 moved the credit‑card motion, and it was seconded and approved by voice vote. Transportation staff had told the commission they already use a mix of vendor options (an equity card, local vendors such as Saint Francis Tire, and occasional credit‑card use) and need a clear, consistent billing arrangement.

Staff also identified immediate operational needs: a cash receipt book to record rider payments for the treasurer's office, routine access to a courthouse copier for driver logs, a printer for timesheets and vouchers, and a second phone line or cell phone so the dispatcher/director can reliably take and forward ride requests. Staff noted the van carries a separate phone (772‑1053) and described the current call flow—a cell phone forwarding to a landline with messages routed to a transportation email box.

Before finalizing wages, the commission voted to enter a 15‑minute executive session to discuss non‑elected personnel. The motion for executive session was seconded and carried; staff were asked to leave for that portion of the meeting. The session is intended to address the outstanding personnel and compensation details related to the position consolidation.

The commissioners did not set a final salary in the public portion of the meeting; commissioners and staff signaled they will finalize pay and administrative details after the executive session and with follow‑up on grant reimbursement calculations.