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Weed department gets pay-grade upgrade, reclassifies temps amid safety and hiring concerns
Summary
Lincoln County commissioners approved a pay-grade increase for the weed-coordinator role (introduced as Mark Andre), reclassified seasonal 90-day temps to 'temporary employees' with a grade bump, and authorized an additional temporary hire; staff cited expanded GIS and grant duties and on-the-road safety for young workers.
Lincoln County commissioners on April 9 approved pay-grade and classification changes for the county Weed Department aimed at improving hiring and safety for seasonal employees.
Weed Department staff described a proposed six-month pay-grade increase for the Brush/Skeleton/Tansy coordinator (introduced in the meeting as Mark Andre), saying duties have expanded to include GIS mapping, grant administration and more computer-based work. Commissioners voted to approve the grade increase after staff emphasized that a higher entry wage is needed to recruit and retain qualified candidates for the role.
Separately, the department asked to reclassify existing 90-day temporary workers as "temporary employees," and to bump the wage grade for those positions from grade 5 to grade 6. The department said two of the current temps are grant-funded and one is funded from the department’s contract budget; staff also asked authorization to add an additional temporary employee as needed, funded in the current year from carryover grant funds.
Why it matters: staff said the work has become more technical and more hazardous in residential settings — in one recounted incident a crew member driving a spray unit was allegedly run off the road — and that neighboring counties are offering higher summer wages (one was cited at about $18 an hour). Managers argued that a modest grade bump will improve retention and reduce recruitment costs.
Board action: commissioners moved and seconded the pay-grade changes and the reclassification motion; both measures were approved by voice vote. Staff was asked to document the job descriptions and grading changes and to supply local bid/compensation comparisons if requested during budget deliberations.
Next steps: department will update job descriptions, coordinate classification and payroll changes with Human Resources and implement the additional temporary authorization within budget boundaries (one position expected to be funded from grant carryover in fiscal year 2025).
