The Clark County Fiscal Court agreed Wednesday to take further steps to establish a pay and compensation schedule for county employees. 

Magistrates Shelia McCord, Daniel Konstantopoulos and Joe Graham, all members of the compensation committee, suggested to the court a three-step method to establish the schedule and issue raises before the end of the fiscal year on June 30. 

The committee recommended suspending the annual 1 percent raise given to county employees to allow the court to place every employee is a pay grade and step classification. 

Pay grades are based on salary schedules within certain positions, and the court is still looking into how to properly and fairly apply raises, or steps, within those classifications, according to Frankie Faulkner, assistant Clark County treasurer. 

“If we could just get these classifications in place, we could move from there,” Graham said. “Getting them in place is the important thing.” 

Once employees are classified, the court can establish raises for the next fiscal year. The magistrates agreed to establish the schedule so that all county employees would receive at least the typical 1 percent raise. 

The final step in the process would be to allow department heads to review the classifications and suggest changes to the court based on particular positions.

The court agreed to table the order suspending the raises until a classification schedule could be established. 

In other business, the court unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance changing the zoning classification of the land at 11400 Irvine Road from agricultural to planned development.

The property is home to the former Trapp Elementary School, where a transitional home for female veterans and their children is being established by Lady Veterans Connect. 

Magistrate Robert Blanton made the motion to approve the reading, noting that the agricultural designation was “inappropriate because the land had not been used for farming for a number of years.” 

Konstantopoulos questioned what would other uses of the property would be allowed if the veterans center closed.  Planning and Zoning Director Robert Jeffries told the court any use of the land that would be considered a special use would have to be approved by the planning and zoning commission. 

The court also: 

— Heard a presentation from Sue Porter of KACO Insurance and Chris Parker of Winchester Insurance Agency, and approved continuing with KACO for general lines and workers compensation insurance with Winchester Insurance Agency as the county’s agent of record for the fiscal year 2018. 

— Appointed Charles Witt and Jane Venable Brown to four-year terms on the Clark County Public Library Board of Trustees. 

— Recognized Clark County Animal Shelter employees Taylynne Britton, Jasmine Heard, Ashley Arnett-McClure and Adreanna Wills, and volunteers Brad Wills and John Ballard for clean up efforts at the shelter following a fire in April.