.jpg)
HARTINGTON – Cedar County Transit is looking to hire more help.
Transit Manager Nikki Pinkelman was unable to attend the board of commissioners’ meeting Sept. 26, but she did provide a written request for permission to hire to fill a full-time position.
In the request, Pinkelman said she would like to hire a full-time person who would split their time between driving for the public transportation system and working in the office.
She said the pool for part-time employees is “slim to none” for Cedar County Transit, especially for someone with a flexible schedule to fit with “our crazy transit schedule changes.”
Cedar County Transit provides public transportation services for all of Cedar County and parts of eastern Knox County – Bloomfield, Crofton and Wausa area residents who live within 30 miles of the transit office located in Hartington.
The public transportation system purchased a computer and computer desk in January for a part-time person to use while helping out in the office. However, that hire has not happened yet. Instead, Cedar County Transit has kept filling needs for drivers.
The new hire’s time could be track and a reimbursement requested from the Nebraska Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration for salary expenses and insurance.
The county’s public transportation system is going to be short-staffed for almost the whole month of October due to two employees taking a long trip, so the need for extra help is immediate, Pinkelman said.
A fully trained backup in both office and driving duties would be helpful to the transit’s overall operations, she said.
Two people are needed most days to keep the office running smoothly, which leaves her and Transit Scheduler Ashley Gowery “both feeling very guilty requesting any time off.”
Pinkelman, who has been the manager of Cedar County Transit for about seven years, said she and Gowery – who are both full-time county employees – “deserve the chance to use our earned vacation time.”
Pinkelman is always on call even on her days off just in case any of the public transportation system’s vans have mechanical issues, there is an accident involving one of the vehicles or an employee is injured on the job.
Pinkelman said Cedar County Transit could use another person who is trained “to help with unexpected or emergency concerns.”
The public transportation system is required to follow Nebraska Department of Transportation procedures and paperwork for all incidents and accidents.
The commissioners approved for Pinkelman to move forward with finding someone to fill the full-time position.
Pinkelman processes extra paperwork to accept Medicaid payents from passengers who qualify and use it to cover medical trips.
The added paperwork is worth it because of the revenue generated from these kinds of rides, Pinkelman said.
That money is an extra source of income that helps make public transportation services less expensive for the county to pay for.
Pinkelman will be pursuing a grant that would allow military veterans to have free transportation to medical appointments.
