Salary : $48,235.20 - $63,460.80 Annually
Location : Caledonia, MN
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 2024-00053
Department: County Highway Department
Opening Date: 06/24/2024
Closing Date: 7/12/2024 4:30 PM Central
Description
The Houston County Highway Department is seeking qualified applicants for a full-time Maintenance Specialist position. Duties include but are not limited to: snow plowing, road and culvert repair; and highway right-of-way maintenance. Current wage range is $23.19 - $30.51 per hour, plus benefits. Please see below for application instructions.
Position Purpose:
Reporting directly to the County DOT Engineer and taking direction from the Highway Maintenance Foreman, the Highway Maintenance Specialist (HMS) performs a variety of road construction and bridge maintenance. The HMS operates bulldozers, motor graders, backhoes, front-end loaders, skid steer loaders, industrial tractors with mowers, sand pull and screen plant, rubber-tired roller, powered broom, and shoulder disc. May work individually or as a group depending on job requirements.
Distinguishing Characteristics:
The Highway Department is responsible for 263 miles of County highways, 180 bridges, 1 Judicial Ditch, 1 airport, and 2 parks. The HMS performs the majority of work duties outdoors and is subject to working for extended periods of time under adverse weather conditions. Hours frequently vary depending upon the season and may include weekends.
** The Highway Maintenance Specialist performs work duties both indoors and outdoors and is subject to working for extended periods of time under adverse weather conditions including darkness and may be required to traverse through and work in rugged terrain of road construction projects. Using appropriate PPE, must be able to work under adverse environmental conditions (dust, smoke, and noise) from construction materials and equipment.

Essential Duties Equipment Operation

• Operate a tandem dump truck to haul highway maintenance materials such as sand, gravel, rip?rap, etc.
• Plow snow with blade attachments and wing on assigned routes, parks, and airport
• Spreading sand and salt mixture on icy roads; towing equipment such as tandem axle and triple axle trailers for moving heavy equipment
• Operate a motor grader to smooth, shape, and spread gravel on gravel?surfaced roads; reshaping ditch bottoms, and plowing snow from roadways
• Operate bulldozer, backhoe, front end loader, skid steer loader, industrial tractor rubber-tired roller, powered broom, and shoulder disc to accomplish road maintenance projects such as culvert repairs, road ditch cleaning and reshaping, repairing washed out roads, culvert cleaning, removing rock slides
• Load and fill trucks with necessary supplies such as gravel, sand, and salt, etc.
• Operate sand pull and screening plant

50% Culvert/Sign Installations

• Install new culverts (up to 8 feet in diameter) including metal, reinforced concrete, and plastic pipe
• Install cattle passes, bridge approaches, and guard rails (both plate beam and triple cable)
• Install temporary and permanent highway signage and barricades
• Paint of concrete, asphalt and timber bridge decks, concrete and timber abutments and wings

15% Road Repair

• Repair damaged and worn segments of asphalt roads such as pot hole repairs, patching, sealing cracks, replacing eroded shoulders, etc. using hot and cold asphalt patching material, rip?rap, gravel and other asphalt sealant
• Apply calcium chloride treating dust problems on crushed rock to County and township roads

10% Brush

• Cut/clear brush and trees from County right of ways or any County property
• Remove fallen trees from roads using chain saws, chipper, axes, bulldozer, backhoe, etc.
• Weed and grass control along roads, in ditches, around bridges and guard rails using spent industrial tractors with flail, rotary, disc, weed eaters and herbicides
• Remove other debris from roadside ditches, culverts and County property as required

10% Equipment Maintenance

• Clean, maintain, and perform minor mechanical repairs toassigned vehicles and heavy equipment as required such as changing oil, greasing, checking/ changing tires, filters, replace belts, and hydraulic hoses, checking fluid levels, weld broken parts
• Perform daily mandatory federal DOT vehicle inspections on road licensed heavy equipment
• Maintains records of all maintenance and repairs performed

5% Road Inspections

• Perform road safety inspections for icy, slippery, snow cover, downed trees and other motoring hazards; may take immediate corrective action or inform supervisors of problem
• Inspect road conditions during the performance of other tasks for present or future problems requiring repair such as eroding shoulders, clogged drainage ditches, broken signs, failed culverts, potholes in roads and bridge decks, etc.; may take immediate corrective action or inform supervisors of problem
• Determine need for additional inventory of sand, salt, rock, gravel, etc. and travels to supplier for additional supplies if inventory is not sufficient to meet requirements.
• Responsible for maintaining accurate inventories and following established inventory reporting procedures; and other duties as assigned

5% Property Maintenance

• Maintain and repair all County owned properties as necessary
• Clean shop area, ensures fire extinguishers, flares, power cords, electrical outlets and other safety related items are maintained in a serviceable condition; report non?conforming safety related items to Foreman and supervisors

5%
This description describes the general list of responsibilities is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of this position and classification and are intended only as an illustration of the various types of work performed. The position description is subject to change as the needs of the employer and requirements of the position change.
Essential Duties
Education and Experience

• High school diploma/GED
• Class A Commercial Driver's License and clean driving record
• Tanker Endorsement

Other Pre-Employment Standards/Requirements

• Pass a criminal history background check
• Pass a pre-employment drug and alcohol test

Post-Employment Certifications, Experience

• MSHA Mining Certification (24-hour new miner and 8-hour annual refresher)
• Depending on the specific duties of the operator:
• Cross train in use and operation all County owned Highway equipment.

Additional Preferred Experience

• Highway maintenance and/or heavy road construction experience
• Some post-secondary training from an accredited Technical or Community College in a construction or highway maintenance related field

Data Notice
Persons with Disabilities
The above is a general listing of job duties. Essential and non-essential functions may vary by individual position. Reasonable accommodations may be available for both essential and non-essential job duties.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act the following represents the Physical/Environmental Demands and Work Environment
FUNCTION N/A<25% 25% - 49P% - 74%>74% Outdoor Work Environment XOffice EnvironmentX Sitting X Standing, Walking X Simultaneous/Repetitive Hand Movements X Typing/Data EntryX Close Vision (Near Acuity) X Distance Vision (Far Acuity) X Color Vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors) X Accommodation (ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus) X Hearing/Speech X Sedentary (Exert up to 10 pounds of force) X Light (Exert up to 20 pounds of force) X Lifting, carrying or pushing of objects up to twenty-five (25) pounds XLifting, carrying, or pushing of objects over fifty (50) pounds X Adverse movements such as overhead, bending, reaching X
NOTICE
A County employee in this position may encounter not public data as defined by Minnesota and federal law in the course of his/her work. Any access to not public data should be strictly limited to accessing the data that is necessary to fulfill the defined job duties. While data is being accessed, the employee shall take reasonable measures to ensure the not public data is not accessed by unauthorized individuals. Once the work purpose to access the data is reasonably finished, the employee must properly store and secure the not public data in accordance with applicable County policies as well as Minnesota and federal law. All employees are expected to become familiar with and comply with the requirements of the County's Data Practices and Data Security Policies.
Status: Non?exempt
Job Category: Operators
Banding: B23-2
Labor group: 49ers
Date last reviewed: 7/2010, 04.2020, 07.2021
To Apply: submit your online application to Houston County by 4:30 p.m., Friday, July 12, 2024 , by clicking the green "APPLY" button on this page. Please attach a cover letter to your application file. If special accommodations are needed to complete this application, please contact the Houston County Personnel Department at 507.725.5822.
Houston County is an Equal Opportunity Employer
SUMMARY OF EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION
AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
(LOCAL 49ers)
The following is only a summary of benefits and information contained in the County's Personnel Policy or Collective Bargaining Agreements.
Employment Status
Houston County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on any basis whatsoever. The position you are applying for is covered by a Union Contract, this being the Local 49ers. However, it should be noted that neither the provisions of the County's Personnel Policy or Collective Bargaining Agreements are to be construed as an employment contract or a guarantee of employment. These contracts may set conditions of employment, benefits, working conditions, and related factors. Where the contract is silent the County policy will apply. Employment with Houston County is "at will" and both the employee and the employer are free to terminate employment at any time.
Hours of Work
For regular full time employees a forty (40) hour work week is expected, and in this position there will be some departure from the normal work schedule depending upon department needs. Throughout the summer months the workday consists of a ten-hour workday and a four-day week, 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The rest of the year, the normal workday is eight consecutive hours per day and the normal work week is five workdays during the calendar week, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The status of this position is non-exempt; therefore the employee is eligible for overtime.
Pay Periods
The payroll period is bi-weekly with the official payday being the Friday following the completion of each period. Note: Employees are required to enroll in Direct Deposit.
Vacation
Full-time employees earn paid vacation at the employee's regular straight time rate of pay, in accordance with the following schedule, based on years of continuous service:
Years Employed Hours Earned
0 - 1 3.08 hr./pay period
2 - 5 3.70 hr./pay period
6 - 10 4.31 hr./pay period
11 - 15 4.93 hr./pay period
16 - 20 5.54 hr./pay period
21 - 25 6.16 hr./pay period
26 6.76 hr./pay period
Sick Leave
Full-time employees earn 3.70 hours of paid sick leave for each payroll period, which equals approximately 12 days per year.
Probationary Period
An individual who is on original appointment to a job position shall serve a probationary period of one year. At any time during the probationary period, an employee may be terminated at the discretion of the employer. During the probationary period, employees earn sick leave and vacation, however, during the first six months of the probationary period, employees may not use sick leave or vacation credits. The employee will not be paid for earned vacation if employment is terminated during the probationary period.
Holidays
Twelve days during the work year are considered paid holidays for full-time employees. These days are: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Spring Holiday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day. A half day is also given for Christmas Eve if it falls on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.
Uniform Allowance
Highway Department employees receive a $525.00 uniform allowance each year. New employees will receive a prorated uniform allowance calculated using the number of months left in the current year.
Safety Equipment
The employer will provide all safety equipment required by law.
CDL Allowance
An employee required by the employer to have a Class "A" Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and is in the drug testing pool and obtains such a license prior to December 31st of any year will be paid $250.00 per year.
Insurance
Employees represented by the IUOE Local 49 are required to participate in the Operating Engineers Local 49 Health and Welfare Plan. For 2023, the employee's premium cost is $32.79 per month.
The County also has available a term life insurance program for all full?time employees which provides a $10,000 death benefit for the full?time employee. For a minimal amount, dependent coverage is available, $5,000 on spouses and $2,500 on minor children.
The effective date for insurance coverage will be the 1st of the month following 30 days of employment. For example, if a new employee starts on the 10th of November, the effective date for insurance coverage will be January 1st.
Pension
PERA - All employees earning over $5,100.00 per year are automatically enrolled in PERA (Public Employees Retirement Association). This is a mandatory pension plan to which all qualifying employees contribute 6.5% of their gross earnings. The employer matches this contribution plus an additional 1.00%. You are vested after working 60 months and eligible to receive a pension upon retirement. Your PERA retirement benefit is a product of your age, average salary and your years of credited service.
CENTRAL PENSION FUND - Members of the Local 49 Operator's Unit also contribute $192.00 per pay period to an additional pension plan called the Central Pension Fund.
Additional Benefits
Other benefits available are additional Life Insurance, Long-term Disability, Deferred Compensation, Critical Illness, Accident Insurance, and Credit Union membership. This is a generalization of the benefits available through Houston County.
Updated 10/26/23