DEWAYNE HOLLOWAY/dewayne@mcnews.online
MOUNT IDA – The effects of COVID-19 were evident as JPs sat in the gallery to provide enough space for social distancing during Monday night’s quorum court meeting. JP Linda Jester did not attend due to concerns regarding exposure to COVID-19.
The meeting started in a routine way with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States Flag. The JPs approved the minutes from previous meetings and the financial statement.
In a rare turn of events a motion failed to receive a second and did not come to a vote during the meeting.
An ordinance to adopt policy determining the number of vacation days for the county librarian was introduced. The ordinance would adopt policy set forth by the Montgomery County Library Board of Directors in 2015. The current librarian, Phyllis Davis, was hired under the policy which provided her with four weeks vacation.
Last year the quorum court passed an ordinance identifying library staff as county employees with the same benefits as other county employees. As a result Davis’s vacation days were cut to two weeks to adhere to county employee policy.
JP Mike Dobbs took the floor to explain why he believed the ordinance was needed. He stated that he didn’t believe he had all the facts when the current policy was voted on last year. He added that he has since found out that Davis’s duties include work for the Regional Library System and that the county receives reimbursement for her work.
He also stated that the ordinance that was previously passed included improper wording that identified the regional library board as the body responsible for the previous library employee policy when in fact it was the county library board.
JP Matt Rae stated that he believed all county employees should be treated the same and receive the same vacation days based on the county employee policy.
County Attorney Andy Riner was asked what they should do next. He reminded the JPs of the reason for the policy set by ordinance last year. The ordinance was passed because Faulkner County had been written up on a legislative audit when it was discovered that their library employees were working under policy set by their library board instead of policy set by the county.
Montgomery County JPs passed the ordinance in effect which designates library employees as county employees which function under county employee policy to avoid a similar infraction.
Riner added that it was within their right as a quorum court to view the library board policy as a recommendation and approve it. The ordinance they were discussing would do as he suggested.
He added that the issue before the quorum court was “Is her job different enough from other county jobs to warrant a different policy.”
County Clerk Penny Black read the ordinance and JP Dobbs made a motion that it be approved.
JP Johnette Rowland asked Davis how many hours she worked. Davis answered that she worked 28 hours per week for the county and 10 per week for the regional library.
No second was offered on Dobbs motion and no vote was taken on the ordinance.
The JPs approved three appropriation ordinances.
Ordinance 2020-8 appropriated funds to the county collector’s budget.
Ordinance 2020-9 was a transfer ordinance that cleaned up final issues with the 2019 budget.
Ordinance 2020-10 appropriated funds from an anonymous donation to the sheriff’s office fund.
With no other business the meeting was adjourned.
