Weston County commissioners spent an extended portion of their Dec. 16 meeting reviewing a proposal to make the county-funded extension executive secretary a University of Wyoming employee under an annual compensation agreement.

County staff explained the process: the university would post the position, run hiring through its HR system and the county would sign a compensation agreement with the university after a hire was made and the start date determined. A commissioner moved "to authorize University of Wyoming in care of Amanda Marley and Kelly K. Crane to establish... the executive secretary to be university... with the agreement being signed after being hired by the university." That motion was introduced during the discussion; the transcript does not record a formal roll-call result immediately following the reading of the motion in the excerpt.

The board discussed expected cost differences. Staff read fringe and benefit figures (examples in the record: a $1,500-deductible health option listed at $11,007.60 annually, a $2,500 option at $12,074.88, dental $3.72, vision $88.80, life $26.44 and retirement contributions). Commissioners debated whether the board would retain direct input on salary increases in future years; staff clarified the arrangement would remain an annual compensation agreement that the board could revisit.

Staff said advertisement and hiring would take place through the university and could take 7 to 10 business days to process after the board approved the approach; staff said they hoped to have a secretary in place in early February. The board asked to be included in any future salary-increase decisions. The county will follow up with a corrected compensation agreement to reflect prorated start payments once a hiring date is set.