County discusses early‑intervention staff hours, pay‑period changes and contract extension through 2028

Portage County staff briefed the Board of Commissioners on June 5 about proposed adjustments to work schedules and contract terms for early‑intervention teams and instructional staff.

Staff said the county's early‑intervention team had historically worked seven‑hour days and that managers sought to shift many positions to eight‑hour days. That change increases the two‑week pay period for affected employees from 70 hours to 80 hours. The briefing described a mix of changes: facility‑based employees would move to 35 hours per week in some roles, clerical staff remain at 40 hours per week, instructor assistants would be moved from 6.5 hours to 7 hours and instructors would remain at 7 hours where program schedules required it.

Why it matters: The schedule changes affect pay‑period hour counts and timekeeping. Staff said the change streamlines payroll and budgeting by shifting contract end dates and pay cycles to calendar years, and that the county wanted to align multiple service contracts to January 1 to match fiscal and HR processes.

Staff also described a contract amendment that extends the contract term by four months to move the contract end date to Dec. 31, 2028. "We added four months to this contract to get them on a calendar year basis," a staff presenter said during the discussion.

At the meeting commissioners treated the item as discussion only and did not vote. Staff said the intent is to implement the changes administratively and to discuss similar adjustments for related units the next year.

Next steps: No formal action was taken at the June 5 meeting. Staff indicated they would proceed with administrative implementation where appropriate and bring other unit changes back for future review.