Commissioners Cover Employee Topics

For the third straight meeting, Roosevelt County commissioners addressed a pay raise request for county attorney office’s employee Erika Fyfe.

The request was denied at the first two meetings.

Commission chair Gordon Oelkers said this will be the final request that he will approve to put the issue on the agenda.

Oelkers made a motion to increase Fyfe’s salary to 83 percent of the clerk and recorder’s salary figure and then to increase the salary to 84 percent after six months.

The motion died due to a lack of a second from commissioners Gary Macdonald and Duane Nygaard.

During a meeting on Sept. 21, Nygaard made a motion to pay Fyfe 80 percent of the clerk and recorder’s salary figure starting on Oct. 1, and then to review the salary after six months. The motion passed 2-0. In a letter to commissioners, county attorney Frank A. Piocos wrote that starting Fyfe at 80 percent is “totally unreasonable and not commensurate with her duties compared to other positions in Roosevelt County.”

Piocos noted that the attorney office’s budget isn’t currently paying for a deputy attorney and that Fyfe will be earning less than Donna Reum, who recently retired.

Commissioners hired Elise Eggebrecht as a part-time cook for Aging Services.

“It’s been tough to find help,” Oelkers said. “I’m glad that she came back.”

Commissioners appointed Joyce Harvey to the library board. They accepted the resignation of Aging board member LeEtta Waldhausen.

Four requests from the Roosevelt County Health Department for spending American Rescue Plan Act Funds were approved by commissioners.