Question: does the organization you are working for allow you to calculate sick and vacation leave into overtime compensation?

The city of Mandan does. Say you called in sick Monday and then worked normal hours through Friday to attain your 40-hour work week, but then had to come in Saturday to do something. Those hours would be paid time and a half according to Mandan's municipal code.

Not so if you work for the city of Bismarck or Burleigh and Morton counties. In those cases, you physically have to work 40 hours before you can be paid overtime, no use of vacation, sick or holiday leave allowed in that overtime.

CBI, which is now handling human resources issues for the city of Mandan, made a request to amend the municipal code to approximate what is done in other situations, namely the employee has to physically work 40 hours before overtime is paid.

Commissioner Dan Ulmer staunchly defended the city's current practice maintaining the employees had earned the sick leave and vacation time and that those hours should be calculated into overtime equation.

The argument went round and round until a motion was made to table the issue by commissioner Jerome Gangl. A second quickly followed.

Now it's my understanding that Robert's Rules of Order stipulates that once a motion to table is made and seconded that all discussion cease and a vote is taken. Well not in this case, the debate continued another five to 10 minutes before a vote was finally taken. The discussion will continue at a later date.

Ranger's pickup

Ever since Burleigh County commissioners started talking about hiring a park ranger I've been facetiously prodding the Tribune's senior outdoors editor Rick Hinton to consider a career change.

It's not that I don't appreciate Rick, heck he sits right next to me in our little quad of desks, but the man fits the mold, the hardy, no-nonsense, experienced outdoorsman that he is. And Rick's jokingly shown some interest, mostly involving whether he'd get to wear a gun and badge. And you have to admit that "Ranger Rick" has a ring to it.

But Burleigh might have lost a leading candidate when I told Rick about the latest in the continuing saga of creating the ranger position.

Commissioner Marlan Haakenson got permission from the rest of the county park board to check into a vehicle which the park ranger will be able to use to make the rounds. It seems the water board owns a 1973 Chevy pickup that Haakenson found buried in the snow out at the McDowell Recreation Area. After a cursory examination by Haakenson he determined it might just fit the ticket … if it runs, that is.

Rick wasn't too enthused about having to drive a 35-year-old pickup around the county, so I suspect he might not apply once the county finally advertises the position.

Realtor's commission

When the Burleigh County Commission set minimum prices for the fairground property it was trying to sell through a nonexclusive listing, it forgot to set a maximum rate of compensation for the Realtor that sells it.

In any negotiations, a Realtor would be representing a buyer, while the county will represent itself. But a negotiable compensation fee to the Realtor paid by the county would have to be part of the sale.

Commissioner Doug Schonert, a professional Realtor in his day job, suggested 3 percent or 4 percent should be adequate compensation. So commissioner Mark Armstrong amended his original motion for sale of the property to include a 3 percent Realtor commission.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 701-250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)