ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Seward County commissioners made light work out of three action items on Monday’s agenda.
The first item concerned corrections made to the county’s recently approved employee handbook.
Seward County Human Resources employee Rosa Conley explained errors were found after commissioners approved the original handbook in October.
“It was distributed to all employees for a signed acknowledgement of receipt,” she said. “Unfortunately, it came to our attention, the information regarding Seward County’s overtime policy was inaccurate as a result.”
Conley said an additional comprehensive review of the entire handbook was conducted and revealed original text concerning the county’s overtime policy, as well as policy for paid time off, had not been updated to accurately reflect the county’s policies.
“Since that thorough review, all misprinted information has been corrected in accordance with our established policies,” she said.
Conley said once commissioners approved the updated handbook, a copy would be uploaded to the county’s Web site, www.sewardcountyks.org, and distributed to all employees via e-mail for reference and acknowledgement of receipt.
Seward County Administrator and HR Director April Warden asked Conley to review the specifics of the corrections.
“In our overtime policy, it stated we paid overtime, including all holiday and PTO times, when calculating overtime, and we do not do that,” Conley said. “That was a mistake and a misprint.”
Commissioner Steve Helm asked if County Counsel Nathan Foreman had reviewed the new handbook.
“I reviewed the initial handbook that was approved in October,” Foreman said. “These additional corrections she just said with the overtime was the only thing that was changed. I have reviewed it.”
Vice Chair Tammy Sutherland-Abbott made the motion to approve the amended employee handbook, and after Chairman Scott Carr seconded the motion, the board voted 4-0 with Commissioner Presephoni Fuller absent to approve the motion.
Monday’s second action item concerned a conditional use permit for J&R Sand’s asphalt plant during the expansion of U.S. Highway 54 in Seward County.
“The state took over a majority of their current property,” Planning and Zoning Director Albert Gallegos said. “They purchased land to the south of that property and are wanting to relocate their business to that new property. This conditional use would allow them to continue the business operation. The Planning and Zoning board did recommend this for approval.”
Helm made the motion to adopt Resolution 2024-16 to approve the conditional use application, and Sutherland-Abbott seconded the motion. The commission voted unanimously to approve the resolution.
The last action item on Monday’s agenda concerned a donation from Commissioner C.J. Wettstein for the rodeo arena at the fairgrounds.
“Commissioner Wettstein asked to donate $1,000 he won as the Kansas Pipeline Association winner,” Warden said. “He wanted the funds to be donated to the Seward County rodeo arena.”
Warden said no formal action was taken had been taken before Monday, and as the money was being deposited, the county’s auditor, Dustin Ormiston, asked the commission to take formal action to accept the donation and to recorded in the minutes of a meeting.
Carr made the motion to accept the donation, with Helm seconding the motion, and the commission voted unanimously to accept the donation.
