(A) Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
COUNTY EXECUTIVE. The Owen County Board of Commissioners.
COUNTY FACILITIES. Any county building or site where services are provided or work is performed.
EMERGENCY. Severe weather conditions, fires, tornadoes, power failures, national crisis or other conditions which endanger safety or render facilities or portions of facilities inaccessible or unusable.
(B) Declaration and notification of declared emergency due to inclement weather conditions.
(1) Declaration of emergency. During emergency weather conditions, the County Board of Commissioners, as the county executive body, may declare an emergency and thereby close county facilities or portions of facilities for specified shifts, or for longer periods of time. The county executive may also allow employees to be dismissed early and may excuse tardiness during a declared emergency. Only the county executive may declare that an emergency condition exists.
(2) Notification of declared emergency. The county executive will notify the department heads that an emergency has been declared, and which facilities, shifts or operations are affected by the declaration. The department heads must notify their employees of such emergency. All emergency closing will be posted on the county website.
(C) Compensation of employees.
(1) Facilities closed. The county executive may close county facilities or portions of facilities and completely excuse employees from work due to the declared emergency. Employees excused from work will be compensated at their regular rates of pay. Employees excused from work and who remained at the request of their department head may earn equivalent time off for their hours worked.
(2) Employee tardiness. Employees have the responsibility of reporting to work on time whenever county facilities are open. However, under certain circumstances which require the declaration of an emergency, but which are not severe enough to close county facilities, the county executive may allow non-essential employees additional time to report to work. For facilities or portions of facilities that remain open during a declared emergency, the county executive may allow non-essential employees an additional two hours to report to work or any 15-minute increment thereof. Employees who report to work within the first two hours of the assigned shift will be paid at their normal rate of pay for the full two hours or any 15-minute increment thereof. Employees who do not report to work within the first two hours will not be paid for those two hours unless the employee has vacation, compensatory time off or other legitimate reason for pay.
(3) Early dismissal. The county executive may dismiss employees working in facilities or portions of facilities before the end of their shift. In this case, the county executive will notify department heads of the declared emergency. Employees dismissed early will be paid their normal rate of pay until the end of their shift.
(4) Emergencies during periods of previously scheduled time off. When an employee has previously scheduled a period of absence from work and an emergency is declared during his or her absence, the employee will be charged with the use of vacation, sick leave, compensatory time off or any other form of leave that had previously been scheduled.
(D) Employees engaged in emergency and/or weather related operations. Employees that perform public services such as police, fire, emergency medical treatment or any weather-related operation for the county are required to work during declared emergencies and will not be excused from work.
(BC Ord. 2009-11, passed 6-15-2009)