By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
During the Oct. 21 meeting of the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors, the supervisors again considered Resolution 26-10 (A Resolution Declaring Emergency Medical Services an Essential Service in Guthrie County). At the Oct. 14 meeting, the supervisors gave initial approval by a 4-1 vote, with Mike Dickson voting against. The supervisors voted again on the resolution, with an identical result.
Supervisors Steve Smith and JD Kuster said they have heard from constituents voicing appreciation that the county is again pursuing the issue.
“Over the course of this last week, I’ve been contacted by several citizens in my area encouraging us to move forward,” Smith said. “So, people are listening and reading.”
County Human Resources Director Jamie Lindsay discussed the situation of the county’s status regarding the effective date of health insurance for newly hired employees. Currently, employee health insurance begins on the first day of the month after the hire date, but that results in the county paying an additional fee of more than $300 each month due to how the insurance company handles payments.
The other option is to have insurance effective on the first day of the month after a 30-day wait following the hire date. Lindsay recommended the second option, as she pointed out that this would allow employees to get a “full” paycheck sooner, rather than having initial paychecks heavily deducted by insurance premiums.
Supervisors discussed the pros and cons of each option. The supervisors voted to implement the second option. Lindsay will make changes to the employee handbook to reflect this change.
County Information Technology (IT) Administrator Brian Hoffman discussed the county’s AI (Artificial Intelligence) policy.
“It’s everywhere, and we actually see it being used productively,” Hoffman said. “This policy doesn’t forbid the use of AI; it just controls it.”
After Hoffman’s report, the supervisors unanimously approved the AI policy as presented.
The supervisors voted unanimously to re-appoint Tim Masters as Weed Commissioner. The supervisors also approved the 2025 Weed Commissioner’s report.
The supervisors meet regularly on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. The public is welcome to attend in person or via remote technology. To join remotely, call 323-792-6123, then use meeting code 547029216#