Natrona County commissioners are set to discuss significant changes affecting local government employees and land use. On Tuesday, the commissioners will consider a proposed employee compensation restructure that could impact 347 county workers, with potential costs reaching up to $1.26 million. The meeting will begin at 3 p.m. in the Natrona County Courthouse and will be available for live viewing on the county’s YouTube channel.
Employee Pay Scale Restructure
The proposed pay scale restructure stems from a comprehensive study by consulting firm Baker Tilly, which highlighted that while starting salaries in the county are competitive, they fall behind market averages at higher levels. To address this, Baker Tilly suggests consolidating the current 64-grade pay plan into 26 grades, providing a more consistent framework. Commissioners will review three implementation scenarios, with costs ranging from approximately $658,000 to nearly $1.26 million, depending on how employees are transitioned to the new system.
Poison Spider Road Zoning Request
In addition to employee compensation, the commissioners will consider a zoning request from property owners David Creager and Michael Reed. They seek to rezone 385 acres near Poison Spider Road from a Ranch, Agriculture, and Mining designation to Urban Agriculture. This change would reduce the minimum lot size from 35 acres to 10 acres, allowing for the separation of residences from agricultural land. However, the proposal has met with opposition from neighboring property owners concerned about increased density, potential strain on local water resources, and rising property taxes.
The county’s Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended approval of the zone change, and the commissioners will address this during the public hearing session at 5:30 p.m.
Additional Agenda Items
Other items on the agenda include a memorandum of understanding for Continuity of Government and Emergency Action plans, requiring department heads to identify critical functions that must be recovered quickly in a crisis. The commissioners will also vote on appointing Mark Harshman to the Fire Fighters of Natrona County board and setting compensation rates for upcoming election workers. Additionally, a fiber optic line license for Mountain West Technologies is up for consideration.
Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.
