February 22, 2011
02/22/11 A recommendation to the County Commissioners to keep the County Plan Director’s job as a full time position was made during their meeting Monday morning.
Deb Griewank, President of the County Plan Commission and Don Ecker, President of the County Board of Zoning Appeals appeared before the Commissioners and recommended keeping the position full time.
Late last year commissioners charged the Plan Commission with the duties of determining if the position could be made a part-time position due to the downed economy. The County Building Inspector had said prior to the budget hearing that his position could be part time because of the lack of construction.
Both the Plan Commission and BZA held discussion during their meetings and County Planning Director Ralph Booker presented an analysis which included his job duties, statistics on permits and violations handled and other duties he attended to including the 2010 census, private/public accesses at Lake of the Woods and the court case involving a cell tower at St. Rd. 17 and 13th Road.
Griewank said, “We’ve decided to keep the position full time,” noting the day to day business operations that would be missed if the position went part time. She also noted the increase in the number of permits issued from 367 in 2009 to 371 in 2010.
Ecker stated, “Ralph is accessible or Lori is there answer questions for the public.” He continued by saying, “He’s done a better job of doing violations than we have had in the past.” Ecker commented that he sometimes drives up and down the county roads looking for violations and said that Booker and Griewank do the same thing. He did think that the county needed to look at putting “more teeth” into violations and closed by saying, “I prefer it to stay as is with a little more teeth in the violations.”
Griewank also noted that since she has been on the board, starting her 5th year, they have never done an employee evaluation. In reviewing the county’s evaluation form Griewank felt it didn’t accurately fit the position so she found one from another company and combined the two to create a form. The county attorney will review the form. The Plan Commission has scheduled an executive session on the 24th to conduct the employee evaluation and Griewank has recommended conducting one annually.