Commissioners approve one-year, $4,000 amendment to add employee portal to Apex services

DeKalb County commissioners approved a one-year, $4,000 amendment to their Apex agreement to add a learning-management and employee total-compensation portal.

County staff member (Speaker 5) told the board the portal includes tools to build job descriptions, an employee handbook, a total-compensation statement builder and training modules — including anti-harassment, HIPAA and leadership-development courses — and said the county has budgeted the $4,000 for the year. "It's a portal. It's not a software package," the staff member said, adding that the job-classification subcommittee had reviewed the offering and recommended trying it for one year.

Commissioner (Speaker 1) asked for an overview of what the vendor would provide and whether the contract was long-term; staff said the purchase is a one-year subscription and the county may decline renewal. "This is just 1 year, and then we can decide whether or not it was worth it," the staff member said.

Chair (Speaker 6) called for a motion. Commissioner (Speaker 1) made the motion to approve the subscription as an amendment to the existing Apex agreement; the chair stated there was a motion and a second on the floor and the board approved the amendment by voice vote.

The staff member said the portal should help employees understand the value of county benefits — for example, noting an employee-only health plan cost to an employee of about $80 a month — and could support recruitment by clarifying total compensation. The county will track use and value during the one-year term and return to the commission before any renewal.

The board moved on to other agenda items after the vote.