Pierce County State’s Attorney Galen Mack joined the Pierce County Commission meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 2, to discuss trees in an organized township’s right of way and a work-at-home policy.

Commissioner David Migler said those in the neighborhood need to get by and have access on township roads, and a resident reporting the issue with trees said they could be trimmed. Mack said he would look at the statutes but he believes the organized township will need to take care of the issue, and the trees will have to go as they are limited to heights of 33 feet.

Commissioner Terry Hoffert asked Mack about a Human Resources issue regarding work from home policies. Hoffert asked how to address a request to work from home, as it could become a liability with worker’s compensation claims, concerns with confidentiality and claims of discrimination.

Mack said the board would need to ask about the work they are doing from home and develop a policy. He recommended the policy have set hours for working at the office, a set time for those duties that can’t be done in the office, and the employee should be documenting when and where they are when doing those duties out of the office. The board said it would ask HR adviser Tanya Wieler to develop a policy.

Pierce County Sheriff Josh Siegler provided his report to the board for the month of August, His department received 59 total calls for service, including three medical calls, three fire calls, five traffic accidents, nine agency assists, two arrest warrants and two served, 24 citations and eight papers served.

While Seigler reported no personnel changes now that Deputy Micheal Jacobs is on duty, the board inquired about dispatch overtime hours that have been paid out to an employee who also works as a corrections officer. Seigler responded he can’t force the dispatch employees to work overtime, and the board suggested maybe it was time to explore the State Radio option.

Siegler conceded it eventually could come to that, but it would require a lot of technical expenses to make the switch to the State Radio dispatching system. Seigler said he will begin advertising again for a part-time dispatcher.

Mike Graner, jail administrator at the Heart of America Correctional and Treatment Center, also provided his August report, sharing that the facility made a profit of $21,449.78 during July. The inmate population in August averaged 84, and the current count was 81, with a monthly high of 89.

Graner said two officer positions were still open, with one new hire and one staff on medical leave. Graner mentioned seven officers need to be certified, and one will start training in Bismarck and Minot beginning in October.

Graner revisited the idea of engaging with Evolution Counseling for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation overflow inmates, and Commissioner Joel Berg asked if the program would bump up the numbers of overflow inmates. Graner said those numbers would remain around 40 inmates.

Graner asked the board if current policy allowed employees to donate sick leave benefits to another, and it was clarified the personnel manual allows donations of up to 48 hours, but in all cases, employees must maintain a balance of 240 hours. After some discussion, Migler moved to allow employees to donate more than 48 hours while still maintaining a balance of 240 hours, and the motion carried.