June 10, 2021 at 1:12 p.m.
Cass Personnel Committee recommendations approved by board
Cass will continue to reappoint Dr. Michael McGee, Ramsey County medical examiner, as Cass's contract medical examiner in 2014, but ask McGee to personally review all death situations to decide whether an autopsy will be required or not.
Cass County has had all unwitnessed deaths referred for an autopsy until now. It is hoped the change will result in costs savings by requiring the transport of fewer bodies to Ramsey County and fewer autopsies.
The current cost for an autopsy has been running about $2,000, plus $2,800 transportation to send the decedent to Ramsey County and return the body to Cass County. There can be additional expenses such as court testimony in criminal cases.
Dowson and Downham had reviewed wages paid in eight surrounding counties to determine Cass's sheriff's office sergeants and health, human and veterans services eligibility workers were underpaid compared with employees doing the same work in eight neighboring counties.
Tuesday the board voted to raise the sergeants' pay grade from 30 to 31 and the eligibility workers' grade from 20 to 21. These changes will result in about a 3 percent raise for each employee.
The commissioners amended the job description for certified appraisers in the county assessing office to reflect a 2013 change in state law that will require all appraisers who determine values and classes for use in property tax calculation to hold a state accredited assessor license by 2019.
They approved a grievance settlement to pay case aide employee Tamara Miller $600. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, which represented Miller in the grievance, has agreed to dismiss the grievance for cost convenience purposes and that the grievance will not be reactivated in any future grievance procedure.
No information was made public concerning the nature of the grievance.
The board named Auditor-Treasurer Sharon Anderson to be the county's primary responsible authority and compliance officer under the state Data Practices Act.
That state law named the county administrator for these jobs by default. If a county has no administrator, then the auditor is named. Cass's board decided to use an option to assign the responsibility to the appointed auditor-treasurer.
County Attorney Christopher Strandlie, Recorder Kathryn Norby and Sheriff Tom Burch will be responsible for enforcing the data practices act in their own departments, because each is an elected official. Anderson will manage the balance of county data practices.
She will further appoint the remaining county department heads to ensure compliance with the state act on a routine basis, but will be responsible to train those employees and assist them in determining what is or is not private or public data.
Anderson said one of her goals this year will be to inventory the data the county holds and assess the county's security measures for protecting private data.
The board voted to advertise for a new consulting labor relations attorney to replace the retiring Tom Fitzpatrick of Brainerd.
Administrator Robert Yochum reported he plans to meet this week with Leech Lake Reservation staff members to determine whether they wish to continue to participate in the county's Children's Initiative.
Second publication rights after Brainerd Dispatch.
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