The Sanilac County Board of Commissioners held another tele-conference meeting Tuesday afternoon, taking care of county business despite the state lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Among the highlights of the meeting was a report from Commissioner Gary Heberling who said the personnel committee has had preliminary discussions regarding voluntary and involuntary lay-offs within the Courthouse, due to the COVID-19 virus.
No formal action has been taken at this time, however County officials did acknowledge the shutdown has impacted revenue for the County.
Talks continue between Administration and staff in an effort to have eligible employees take advantage of the Federal Stimulus bill during the COVID-19 pandemic.
County Administrator/Controller Tara Griffith said at least 1 employee has taken advantage of an early retirement buyout package the County offered.
Also at the meeting, Commissioner Joe O’Mara made a recommendation, suggesting Commissioners approve a $5 per hour raise for essential workers retro-active to March 16th. O’Mara did not specify who he considered essential.
A number of Commissioners, including Commissioner Heberling and Joel Wyatt, had no idea the topic was going to come before the board as a possible addition to Tuesday’s agenda and were less than pleased that they had the issue dropped in their laps without reviewing the proposal first.
Both Heberling and Wyatt, along with Chairman Bob Conley, said they needed information on the impact of the County budget before voting on the matter. O’Mara’s motion to have the topic placed on the agenda failed on a 2-3 vote.
Commissioner Dan Dean supported the idea, while Heberling, Wyatt and Conley voted no.
The motion failed and will be discussed at a future meeting.
