By Tamara Browning
Index Reporter
The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors have authorized Chairperson Jeff Sorensen to sign the agreement regarding the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office Correctional Unit that includes an arbitration award issued on Sept. 11 for a 2.8 percent increase in base wages for Step 1 on the pay scale.
The agreement between Muscatine County and Chauffeurs, Teamsters and Helpers, Local Union No. 238, affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, is retroactive from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.
The base rate for a Step 1, full-time correctional officer went from $22.05 effective July 1, 2023, to the new rate of $22.67 effective July 1, 2024. The new rate includes the 2.8 percent increase.
“This is the actual contract for ’24 -’25,” Nancy Schreiber, director of administrative services, said. “It comes with the outcome of arbitration. It does a 2.8 percent increase to their base rate only.”
Supplemental pay as a retention stipend for the Corrections Bargaining Unit was also approved.
Employees at Step 1 will receive a retention stipend equaling an additional .45 percent of the base wage, to be implemented retroactive to July 1, 2024, and issued on each paycheck.
Employees at Steps 2 through 7 will receive a retention stipend equaling a 3.25 percent increase to the employee’s current “step pay” only, implemented retroactive to July 1, 2024, and issued on each paycheck.
Employees who were on Step 7 as of June 30, 2024, will receive a 1 percent lump sum payment the first payroll in December 2024.
“This resolution provides supplemental aid to that unit,” Schreiber said. “That amounts to what we offered them to begin with. It amounts to a 3.25 percent increase across the board. It allows them to have steps, if they’re eligible for steps, so the overall cost of that is 4.68 percent.”
Providing supplemental pay is the fair thing to do, Schreiber said.
“The arbitrator ruled a 2.8 just for Step 1. We don’t currently have anybody on Step 1, but it would affect anybody that we hire in,” Schreiber said. “For everybody else that’s over there, there would be no pay increase under what the arbitrator ruled.”
In other action, the board:
Approved the 2025 Muscatine County Holiday Schedule. The 2025 holiday schedule will be New Year’s Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1; Memorial Day, Monday, May 26; Independence Day, Friday, July 4; Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1; Veterans’ Day, Tuesday, Nov. 11; Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 27; Day after Thanksgiving, Friday, Nov. 28; Christmas Eve Day, Wednesday, Dec. 24; Christmas Day, Thursday, Dec. 25; and Day after Christmas, Friday, Dec. 26.
The schedule includes one personal day.
Approved the Muscatine County Conservation Board applying for a grant of $100,505 to the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust to redo the life support system of the aquariums at the Environmental Learning Center and to update live animal enclosures.
“Our learning center is about 20 years old. The system that we have in the basement is the same. It’s getting increasingly hard to find replacement filters,” Conservation Director Katie Hammond said. “There’s a lot easier systems that take less weekly or daily maintenance than the system that we have and could save us money in the long run by not having to replace all the filters and such.”
There currently are two 1,200-gallon fish aquariums and two, approximately 80-gallon turtle tanks, which will be replaced with 120-gallon tanks. A 280-gallon turtle tank will be added inside the main doors for “Timmy” the red-eared slider turtle.
“We think that our visitors will really enjoy coming and seeing some new updates and changes, and the system will be great for us,” Hammond said.
Approved awarding the base bid of $13,789 and the alternate of $400 to All American Concrete for pavement replacement at the Muscatine County Deputy’s Quarters.
Approved awarding the base bid of $53,870 to Spectra Build for the Muscatine County Jail door and access panel replacement.
Heard from Muscatine County Sheriff Quinn Riess encouraging drivers to drive undistracted.
“You brought it up earlier, so I’m going to talk about it. Fatalities in the county. I think we’re at nine so far this year,” Riess said. “I’ll say it to you guys. I’ll say it to whoever is watching, anybody in the room. I’ve said it at every speaking engagement that I’ve been to – slow down. Pay attention. Put your phones down. Nothing’s that important.”