Personnel decision scrutinized by county

LAPEER — Lapeer County commissioners on Thursday recommended approval of a personnel request, but not without a little hand-wringing.

After already significant budget cuts in the last couple of years, it’s become a familiar routine. County officials already expect to cut another quarter million dollars from the general fund budget in their next foray into that territory.

Friend of the Court Emil Joseph’s request to fill an Enforcement Officer position due to an upcoming resignation came to commissioners after it got the nod from the Personnel Committee, which is chaired by commissioner Lenny Schneider. Language was also added to the proposed motion to allow filling of a subsequent vacancy if the Enforcement Officer was replaced by internal promotion.

Commissioner Dyle Henning put the brakes on there, expressing his desire to study positions as they come open rather than having to lay someone off at a later point in time.

No one needed much convincing on the Enforcement Officer position, the only one its kind on the FOC staff. It’s not a general fund position, but is covered through the FOC’s cooperative reimbursement grant.

It was the trickle down effect of an internal promotion leaving some other position to fill that gave Henning pause. At the same time, there was concern that already shorthanded staff might have to wait longer to get a position filled if the proper mechanism was not already in place in the event of an internal promotion.

Commissioner Dave Eady suggested he did not want to second guess the personnel committee, saying, “We have these committees for a reason.”

Still, Joseph explained that there are three caseworkers in his department. One handles parenting time, and has a caseload of 6,000. Two other caseworkers deal with money issues, and carry 3,000 cases each. The staff at one time had four caseworkers.

“We’re down to the bare bones,” said Joseph. The department is also down by one contractual person, and one full time clerical support person.

“It’s hurt, but everybody has to share the pain,” said Joseph. “When I get to the professional staff, I just do not have any way to reshuffle that."

Henning questioned whether a declining population would impact the caseload, but Joseph noted his department carries cases up to 28 years.

Several options were suggested to alter the language of the motion, but commissioner Ian Kempf was stalwart in defense of the original proposed motion.

“I think we’re just overthinking this whole thing,” said Kempf, “We’ve got a motion. It works. It makes sense. Now we’re just stabbing it with ‘what ifs.’”

Kempf suggested that the need to fill the position, and any resulting one, was urgent. “When we run this lean we have to be expedient,” said Kempf.

Commissioners unanimously recommended approval of the motion to fill the Enforcement Officer position, as well a vacancy if one results from an internal promotion for the position.