To: Martin L. Cousineau, Finance Committee Chairperson
From: Jeffrey Wright, Drain Commissioner
title
RE: Approval of a request by Genesee County’s Drain Commission to adjust the pay scales for three (3) Engineering Assistants positions and one (1) Storm Water Compliance Assistant position
recommendation
BOARD ACTION REQUESTED:
The Drain Commissioner is asking for approval to adjust the job description and pay for the Engineering Assistants and pay for the Storm Water Compliance Assistant.
BACKGROUND:
The Study of positions had a recommendation of no change the job description and the salary for our three Engineering Assistants (EA) and our Storm Water Compliance Assistant (SWCA). The current job description for the EAs does not accurately reflect everything they do in our Office. They function as Storm Inspectors for all drains and drain complaints. After reviewing the job description and pay steps to comparable positions, attached, they are receiving more than $7 less than what other Counties are paying. Please see attached salaries. For the SWCA, other Counties use Engineers or other Professionals to do a lot of this work at higher pay steps. When this position was created the discussion with Human Resources was that this position salary should be comparable in pay with the Engineering Assistant as this position requires similar field work as part of their duties including investigation of Illicit Discharges to the Storm Sewers, performing dye testing in residential property, dry weather screening in the field. Note this position is paid 50% general fund and 50% through the Storm Water Management money collected under PA 342 contract with local communities in Reso 2021-229.
DISCUSSION:
We wish to update the job description and have our Engineering Assistants and Storm Water compliance Assistant paid a comparable wage to other Counties. This inequity will affect our ability to retain or hire these valuable employees. We have savings from vacancies in the second quarter of FYE 2026 that will cover the approximate $38,000 which is needed to increase salary plus fringe for these 4 positions.
IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCES:
Modify job description and related paperwork.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
Reappropriate funds that were in original approved budget
IMPACT ON FACILITIES:
No impact on facilities
IMPACT ON TECHNOLOGY:
No impact on technology
CONFORMITY TO COUNTY PRIORITIES:
Proper and timely inspection of needed maintenance of the storm sewers makes the community safer and alleviates flooding, for general health and welfare. Being able to hire and keep employees with long institutional memory makes for more effective employees. Timely inspections of Illicit discharge complaints keep pollutants out of the storm sewers and compliant with our storm Permit from EGLE.
resolution
TO THE HONORABLE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE GENESEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
BE IT RESOLVED, by this Board of County Commissioners of Genesee County, Michigan, that the request by the Office of the Genesee County Drain Commissioner to authorize changing to the job description and increasing the pay rate for three (3) Engineering Assistants and increasing the pay rate of one (1) Storm Water Compliance Assistant, said increases in pay rates to be funded from account 1010-442.00-702.000 and related fringe accounts as described in the supporting documents, is approved (a copy of the memorandum request and supporting documents being on file with the official records of the March 11, 2026 meeting of the Finance Committee of this Board).