Commissioners Approve Time Clocks For Employees

Roosevelt County commissioners discussed the impacts of adding time clocks for courthouse employees during a meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 6.

Commissioner Robert Toavs explained that employees have been writing their time worked down and having their department heads signed off on the hours. Commissioners then must approve the hours.

Toavs feels it would be a better “checks and balances” if a time clock is used to make sure time worked is accounted for.

“We can’t verify their actual work,” Toavs said.

Commissioner Gordon Oelkers expressed that he opposes the change.

“This is strictly micro-managing,” Oelkers said.

Oelkers said commissioners need to trust department heads. He added that commissioners don’t need to know what employees are doing all day, that’s up to department heads and elected officers.

Toavs said the time clocks will start at the courthouse and then expand to other offices. Employees will check in on their computers or phones. It will not impact elected officials or the sheriff’s office. He said it could be called micro-managing, but it also could be called being cautious with the county’s funds.

Toavs and Commissioner Doug Marottek voted in favor of the motion to purchase the time clocks. Implementation fee is $2,212 an annual license fee is $1,275.

Also during the meeting, commissioners approved $19,000 for a 2016 Trail Max tilt bed pintle hitch trailer. The trailer will be hooked up to a designated end dump and utilized between Poplar, McCabe and Bainville to clean cattle guards, install culverts and do any other backhoe work.

Commissioners appointed Marilyn Olson and Sabrina Labatte to the county fair board.

Commissioners approved annual resolutions to establish meeting times and posting notices. If county business requires, commissioners will hold a regular meeting at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays in their office.

Notice of public meetings will be posted just inside the county building in Culbertson and the bulletin board by the door of the commissioner’s office.

Travel allowance for meals remains at $10 for breakfast, $12 for lunch and $17 for supper. Mileage rates has increased by 2 cents to 72.5 cents per mile driven.

Devlyn Oyates was hired to work in the detention center. Annual pay raises were approved for detention employee Bear Wagner and aging services’ employee Diane Lambert.

In a meeting earlier that day, Toavs was elected the Roosevelt County commissioners’ presiding officer.

County Attorney Thomas Bleicher presided over the special public meeting. Commissioner Oelkers made the motion for Toavs to become the presiding officer. Marottek seconded the motion.

No other nominations were received. Toavs was elected on an unanimous ballot.

Oelkers has served as the presiding officer for the past four years.

During last year’s meeting, Oelkers noted that he will not serve as presiding officer in 2026 because he will have the responsibilities of being the president of the Montana Association of Counties.

Commissioners are hopeful that the position will now be rotated with each commissioner serving in the role for a year at the time.

Toavs is beginning his third year as a county commissioner.