In comparison to past exchanges between the Burleigh County sheriff and county commissioners, Tuesday's meeting was civil, almost to the point of congenial.

Gone were the accusations and sharp exchanges that punctuated earlier commission meetings, but Berg still ran into a stone wall on his requests to reclassify two positions within his department, though commissioners did concede to the sheriff's request for a motion to run a request for proposal advertisement for full nursing services for the detention center.

Commissioners tabled Berg's requests to reclassify a vacant detoxification counselor position to deputy sheriff-sergeant and transfer an open court security position to detention officer. Berg made a case for the reclassification, but commissioner Scott Johnson made a motion to table the issue, which was seconded by commissioner Marlan Haakenson, passing on a 3-2 vote.

"I'd like to table this until we see the (climate assessment) study. I want to see what comes out of it," Johnson said.

Berg began to detail the transfer, but was cut off by Haakenson, who made a similar motion to table the issue, seconded by Johnson, resulting in the same 3-2 approval.

Earlier in the meeting, new human resources director Terry Czosnek briefly updated the commission on the climate assessment study being conducted by the Village Institute of the Sheriff's Department at the request of the commission. Czonsek said a contract had been signed and Village personnel would begin conducting interviews of Sheriff's Department employees on July 20-22.

Commissioner Claus Lembke aired his concerns about the county spending $14,000 on the assessment, which he thinks is being based on unsubstantiated hearsay. Lembke proposed to postpone the study, but Czosnek said, "That might send out the wrong message to employees, that we're not supporting them. If you decide to continue the study you should not delay it."

"I haven't seen on written explanation that came with a signature. I don't think these letters should even be read if they're not signed," Lembke said.

But commissioners Jerry Woodcox, Johnson and Haakenson said they had received signed letters dealing with issues within the Sheriff's Department as well as personal contact with some of those employees.

"As far as I'm concerned, we've made our decision," Woodcox said. "I've had several employees come to me. I'm in favor of continuing the assessment being done on the Sheriff's Department."

In his update of the jail medical program, Berg said Burleigh County Health may not be interested in providing nursing services past Sept. 5, and indications are that those services will exceed $200,000 annually. Berg asked commissioners to allow the services to be put up for competitive bidding and that the bids be based on two-year contracts.

Commissioners agreed, approving a motion by commissioner Doug Schonert to do so. But commissioners also amended the motion to include bids based on one-year and six-month contracts.

Johnson brought up past commission interest in advertising for one nurse to head a jail medical program, training jail personnel to carry out duties including medication distribution. Johnson thinks the county could get these services for $50,000 to $60,000 annually.

Schonert advised against it, saying, "I've done quite a bit of extensive research, and from what I've found out you can't hire one nurse to do it because of the unstableness of some inmates."

Johnson said one nurse could handle the nursing services and motioned to advertise the position based on six-month, one-year and two-year contracts. He motioned to run such an ad, receiving a second from Haakenson. The motion carried 3-2.