LISBON - The Columbiana County Board of Developmental Disabilities is expected to save money under a new contract with a small group of union workers.
The board on Wednesday approve a new three-year contract with the 10 case workers who make up the services and support administration. The contract calls for 1 percent annual bonuses instead of pay raises that would increase their base, but school Superintendent Bill Devon said the savings would come from restructuring of the step pay raise schedule.
Under the current schedule, the case workers receive pay raises when they reach certain levels of service, including annual raises during their first five years of work. Devon said the schedule is frozen for seven of the employees and restructured for the other three at a reduced rate, which is expected to result in a significant savings.
Devon reported health insurance premiums for all employees were increasing by 3 percent next year, and the case workers would continue to pay 10 percent of the new monthly premiums.
The increased insurance premiums would affect 130 board employees and cost about $48,000 in 2012.
In other action, the board also approved some final changes that will allow the agency to begin administering a portion of the Help Me Grow program in place of the county health district.
Help Me Grow is a state-funded program that provides young children from households that qualify with health and developmental services. The health district had performed both functions, but Devon said it made more sense for them to administer the developmentally disabled services since that is what they do.
Two Help Me Grow employees from the health department will be transferred over as a result of the change.
The board also:
- Adopted a 2012 general operating budget totaling $11 million, compared to a 2011 budget of $10.7 million.
- Agreed to require all employees to have their pay checks directly deposited in the bank starting Jan. 31. Devon said they only have five workers who want their pay checks in hand and he said it might result in an employee grievance.
- Authorized Devon to hire new director of public and community relations on a temporary basis, if the need should arise between now and the January meeting. The former director, Zach Kinsey, resigned.
- Renewed the contract with Mitchell & Associates for payroll and billing accounting service, at $9,465.
- Renewed membership in the Ohio Association of County Boards for $14,000.
