County mulls longer shifts for jailers, dispatchers

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Brown County might have to make an attachment to its new contract with the sheriff's department if discussion of changing work schedules becomes reality.

Brown County Sheriff Larry Pederson, Head Jailer Paul Wieland and Head Dispatcher Mike Mathiowetz came before the Brown County Board Tuesday afternoon to give commissioners an update on the rescheduling process.

No official action was taken as the board only discussed the item.

Pederson said the department's correctional officers are considering a change to a 12-hour shift. Mathiowetz later said dispatchers were also considering a 10-hour shift. Wieland said county jailers came up with the idea of the 12-hour shift so they could have more time off from work.

Wieland said jailer shifts would change from three eight-hour shifts to two 12-hour shifts. He said two teams of four jailers each would work under the new scheduling, but it would require adding a 16th full-time jailer position if it were a reality.

The change would allow jailers and dispatchers to work 40 hours in fewer days per week.

County Administrator Charles Enter said that the board would need to take action in the form of a memorandum of understanding in response to the new contract, which was passed unanimously by the board on Nov. 20. Enter said several parts of the contract would need clarification before the proposed 10-hour work day could take effect. He later said the contract would not change as it is in place already; the memorandum is simply an attachment made on an agreement in respect to contract issues.

Commissioner Charles Guggisberg asked Wieland about the number of full-time jailers presently working for the department. Wieland said the BCSD has one part-time jailer starting and another one coming in. Guggisberg said the 12-hour schedule could work if the department had two part-time female jailers.

Wieland said he would need three part-time female jailers to make proposed schedule work. He later said the department employs eight male jailers and seven female jailers and that there is a "minimum of one gender per shift." Gender requirements that mandate a certain ratio of males to females only apply to jailer positions.

Commissioner Andrew Lochner asked about how illnesses would affect the new scheduling. Wieland said the jail likely can work with three people.

"It's that flexibility that's key to maintaining the system," Enter added.

Pederson said it would also be possible to stagger the shifts throughout the day. Guggisberg said he saw an advantage to staggered shifts, but still felt that the idea could "use some fine-tuning" and said he had no problem with the proposed changes.

Enter said the contract presents a number of issues that both sides in the recent collective bargaining would have to examine, but did not specify which portions of the contract needed clarification.

He said the county will discuss the idea with its attorney, James Madden, and Frank Vanelli, the union representative for the sheriff's department. Enter said the board could officially consider a memorandum of understanding in four to eight weeks if it can work out the contract issues with the two sides.

The board also:

* Approved several social services contracts with local providers including New Ulm Medical Center, Mankato Rehabilitation Center, Inc., the Leo A. Hoffmann Center, the Brown County Evaluation Center and Behavioral Health Services, Inc.

The NUMC and MRCI contracts are for mental health services. NUMC also inked a deal with the county for chemical dependency services, as did the Brown County Evaluation Center.

* Approved the Park Department request for funding for historical kiosks for Treml and Lost Dog and Fox Hunters parks.

* Asked the River Valley Dutchmen Snowmobile Club to return with a draft resolution and tabled that club's request for county sponsorship in a DNR grant program that would help the club purchase a new trail grooming machine.