When the Seward County zoning administrator’s position was vacant a few years ago, Seward County Commissioner Misty Ahmic spent nearly four months working in the one-person office.
The current zoning administrator is now on planned, approved leave until January and the person holding the part-time position in the office recently resigned.
So Ahmic, who is the board liaison to the office, is again spending part of her days fielding calls and holding office hours to assure county residents get the planning and zoning services they need. She has posted zoning office hours on the county’s website.
It is a situation the Seward County commissioners tried to avoid, and one that had commissioners deliberating alternatives at their Nov. 18 meeting.
Part of the issue is that in small departments, there are not others who are cross trained to cover for even a short-term absence. Ahmic said county employees from other departments do not have the time to be cross trained in another office.
Commissioner Scott Pekarek, who served on the Seward County Planning Commission before running for commissioner, recalled the number of hours Ahmic worked the last time and proposed the county contract with a planning consultant to cover some of the office needs until January or consider paying Ahmic for the time she works in the zoning office.
But Ahmic said she is not the only commissioner to have helped out a department to which they are assigned as liaison. She also said she would not accept additional compensation for the work.
“It’s just part of my role,” Ahmic said.
Commissioner Darrell Zabrocki assisted with administrative work in the 911 office in the past when the director’s position was vacant. But he also said he would not take an extra stipend to do that work.
Pekarek noted the amount of time Ahmic is spending on zoning duties as he raised the issue of compensation. Ahmic said in a later interview she logged about 16 hours work in the zoning office or remotely from Nov. 17 to 20.
Commissioners said they have talked with a planning consultant who has up to eight hours a week currently available, but agreed the hourly cost of a consultant for that much time may be prohibitive.
They did, however, discuss contracting for fewer hours that might be used for more challenging situations or special projects that arise during the administrator’s absence.
Ahmic said the commissioners do not want to hire a part-time person until the full-time administrator returns and a temporary person would not likely have the training or knowledge to work in the office.
Ahmic has a degree in architecture and planning, but said that while that helps her navigate the job, it did not prepare her specifically for rural zoning functions and issues.
County Attorney Wendy Elston said there is a precedent for a commissioner being paid for an additional county position, but in that situation a person was already working as an employee in a county office when they were appointed as a commissioner.
Seward County commissioners are paid an annual salary of $36,335, which is set every four years.
