Library Employees Will Begin Using Facial-Identity Time Clocks
By MARK EVANS
STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD
Ste. Genevieve County Library employees will soon have their own facial recognition time clock.
County commissioners and Kim McMillan, county payroll clerk, discussed the move with library executive director Shawn Long during last Thursday’s commission meeting.
Adding the internet-based system will allow Long to forgo keeping track of employee time sheets and will allow employees to avoid filling them out.
The software will automatically track accumulated compensation time and vacation time, as well as any overtime worked.
“It’s easier and everybody’s on the same system,” First District Commissioner Karen Stuppy said.
The community center staff already uses such a system. It was agreed, though, that it would work better for the library personnel to have their own system in the library, rather than have to walk across the building and log in behind the main counter.
Long said he has three full-time employees and usually six or seven part-timers. The system will not be used by salaried employees like Long himself.
Stuppy called it a “win-win” situation.
While he was there, Long also gave an end of summer update on the library.
He said 309 individuals took part in the summer reading program, reading a total of 4,321 books and logging 1,928 minutes of reading. A library sign-up month was also held, with 36 “Golden Tickets” hidden throughout the library. He said 20 of them had been found so far.
He said a lending library had been taken to various nursing homes.
Long also reported that he is combining some programs, to offer one program per month. A Jumanji Night had drawn nearly 40 people. A Halloween event is scheduled for Oct. 25.
Long said a donor has approached him about the possibility of donating a vehicle to be used as a “book-mobile.” He is looking into the idea to see whether insuring, operating and maintaining such a vehicle would be feasible.
Long also reported that the Movie in the Park series has gone over well. The August film,”Spiderman,” drew about 75 people. This month’s will be the 1939 classic “Wizard of Oz.” He said the animated “Frozen” could be held over until next year if necessary.
“We’re sure impressed with what you’ve done up there,” Presiding Commissioner Garry Nelson told Long.
FAIR BOARD HAS MEETING
Stuppy reported on the most recent fair board meeting. It was the first one since Mike Murtha replaced Keith Skaggs as board president.
Stuppy said it “went well,” although she said she couldn’t answer questions they had about how the board’s reorganization will be handled. The commissioners have indicated that they want to get in line with state statutes in setting up a fair board. She said she told them they will have to meet with their attorney, Ivan Schraeder, and get his feedback on some of the particulars. For now it is “in limbo.”
Nelson noted that they can appoint between nine and 15 members and said that the board having committees to handle things like racing, the demolition derby, etc., would be a good idea for the new board.
ROAD WORK IS PROGRESSING
Road and bridge foreman Scott Schmieder reported that work was completed on Saline Creek and Madden Creek roads. He said Turley School Road would be finished later that day. He also said patching work was being done on Asbury Chapel Road.
He also said, weather permitting, they would dig out spots and patch on St. Mary Cemetery Road this week. He said a large hole on the road needs patching.
Nelson also stressed for any citizen who sees storm or other damage on a road to immediately report it. Neither the commissioners nor Schmieder were aware of the storm damage to St. Mary Cemetery Road until the afternoon. Nelson said a school bus had had to cross it that morning.
Meanwhile, the road crew has been mowing.
Nelson said that two boom mowers will not keep up with the demand.
The bat wing mower, he stressed, is necessary. This brings up the issue of having a tractor to pull the bat wing mower. For years, the county leased one each summer from William Nobbe & Company for a set price (usually around $4,500) for a maximum of 300 hours.
The commissioners have grown concerned that the firm, now Sydenstriker-Nobbe, may discontinue leasing equipment.
If they do, Nelson indicated they will need to look elsewhere to find a tractor to lease to pull the mower.
“I’d like to keep the money in the county,” he said, but that he didn’t want to “wait till April to look.”
He added that the county could not afford to buy a new tractor for that purpose at this time.