2A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • September 30, 2015 Polk County News AFSCME, county at odds Two organizations have been negotiating since June By Emily Mentzer The Itemizer-Observer POLK COUNTY — Polk County mental health workers and administration are in a “cooling off” period after unsuccessful negotia- tions over wages. “Basically, we’ve been bargaining with the county s i n c e June,” s a i d Dustin B r e - i t w i e s e r, mental health counselor Hansen and mem- ber of the bargaining unit for Ameri- can Federation of State, County and Municipal Em- ployees Local 173. “We have not been able to reach a settlement. They’re taking a hard line. They cited politi- cal reasons for not wanting to give us a raise. They won’t budget off 1.5 percent (cost-of-living adjustment) with us.” County Administrator Government Greg Hansen said AFSCME members are asking for 2.5 percent COLA, a difference of 1 percent. The county and the union essentially agree on selective salary in- creases for 10 to 15 posi- tions, he added. Amanda Stevens, Polk County mental health work- er, said at the Sept. 23 coun- ty commissioner meeting that the “insufficient COLA” offered “makes me feel de- valued and disrespected.” She said her workload — and that of all mental health workers in the coun- ty — has increased signifi- cantly because of reforms to Medicaid and the Afford- able Care Act. “We serve more clients, with additional monitoring • Any delivered load of bark from 3 yards within Independence, Monmouth, and Dallas • And from 5 yards to unit sizes to Independence, Monmouth, Dallas, Salem, Corvallis & surrounding areas. www.marrbrosbark.com 875 S. Pacific Hwy • Monmouth requirements,” Stevens said. More reports are being made and investigated. Joseph West, AFSCME representative, said state requirements in reporting have put a lot more work on mental health counselors such as Stevens. “Workers in her depart- ment used to do six- to seven-page reports,” West said. “Now those reports are 80 to 90 pages.” West said that union workers have worked with the county in the past, ac- cepting lower increases and taking layoffs. But now, the county has roughly $3 mil- lion more in the mental health budget. “The wage increases that the mental health — and our overall public service workers — are requesting or trying to reach with the county are pretty much on average with most of what we’re seeing (in other AF- SCME represented agen- cies),” West said. Hansen said the addi- tional revenue in the men- tal health budget has gone to contingency and in- creases in staffing and equipment. He noted that he tries to keep county workers paid on the same level as those in five other counties used to compare: Linn, Benton, Lincoln, Yamhill and Tillamook. Hansen said he doesn’t agree that the reason the county is keeping firm at its 1.5 percent COLA offer is political. “Recently we went for a public safety levy,” he said. “The county is very cog- nizant of that, and are stewards of the public’s money. I don’t think it’s the best time to give a more than generous COLA.” During the cooling off period, the county and union will meet with a me- diator two more times to try and work out the wage portion of the contract. EMILY MENTZER/ Itemizer-Observer The new Monmouth Historic Walking Tour app for iPhones or Androids allows users to explore the tales of buildings in town and on Western Oregon University’s campus. Explore, learn about Monmouth New app makes it easy to walk around downtown, WOU By Emily Mentzer The Itemizer-Observer MONMOUTH — A new app for smart- phones makes it easier than ever to find out more about historic buildings in the city of Monmouth. The app, Historic Monmouth Walking Tour, is available for both iPhones and Google formats. It cost about $6,000, which was paid for through a grant, said Mark Fancey, Monmouth community develop- ment manager. Once downloaded, the app provides users with information, pictures and history about 29 historic sites in Monmouth, including Western Oregon University. A global posi- tioning system icon allows users to identify where they are in the city and see where on the map the next historic site is. The app is very basic. The GPS function does not automatically update to show where you are or in what direction you are walking. No notifications are available as you pass by historic sites, so you have to be looking for them. It’s free to download and use. The map is easy to read, and the facts are interesting. Ad- ditional photos are included with some sites, featuring historic pictures of a place, or sometimes photos of what it looks like inside. The app also features “fun facts” about Monmouth, including that the sequoia tree that is decorated every year on Western Ore- gon University’s campus was planted in 1887. Dallas author wins award for children’s book Itemizer-Observer staff report DALLAS — Kim Conolly, a Dallas author, has won the Cascade Award for her unpublished children’s book, “I’ll Tuck You in, Mama,” at the Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference held in Port- land in August. The contest received more than 225 entries. Finals judges were top ed- itors, agents, and authors from the Christian publish- ing industry. Jeff Gerke, a Writer’s Di- gest author, and Susan May Warren, an award-winning a u t h o r, p re s e n t e d t h e awards. For more information about the Cascade Awards or Oregon Christian Writers, contact@oregonchristian- writers.org. Recycle!