Nearly a month after the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors approved a new County employee handbook, County Attorney Brenna Bird requested this week to discuss the topic with the Board and other legal representatives.

Bird stated she was not at the Supervisors’ November 19th meeting when they approved the handbook, for which she had requested the Board table the decision until she had reviewed it. The Board also decided not to appropriate the remaining 25% of budget funds to the departments who were not in agreement with the handbook: the Attorney’s, Recorder’s, and Sheriff’s Offices. Bird said she wanted to discuss the handbook and thought it would be on this week’s agenda and on previous meetings agendas, but it was not included. Human Resources Director Pam Lane commented that Bird had numerous opportunities to discuss the issue since April, to which Bird replied, “At this point we’re talking about an issue that as County Attorney I can’t talk about if I’m going to follow open meetings (law). And so just like it wasn’t right to have one side of the story on the 19th of November, you know I’m not able to talk about an issue that’s not on the agenda because open meetings requires that.”

Bird asked that attorneys from Ahlers & Cooney P.C. attend a January meeting to mediate a discussion with the Board. She added that the firm which represents the County has not yet approved the handbook. Supervisor JD Kuster stated at the meeting, “This isn’t good for people outside of the building here looking in. They know about, there’s a problem here, and I don’t like that we can’t get along here. So get things aired out.”

Supervisor Cliff Carney echoed that having Ahlers & Cooney involved would be a good idea. The Board directed Bird to contact the firm, and they later tabled action on aligning terms of a health care policy with the handbook.