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Improving the efficiency of how the town of Thorsby handles payroll for its employees was the primary talk during Monday’s Council meeting.

After a lengthy discussion, the Council approved the use of Paychex Payroll Services to transition to a more digital time clock platform. Councilman Neil Benson was absent for the meeting.

With the switch, town employees will track hours online through the Paychex Payroll Services website or by downloading the app on their phones, as opposed to the paper tracking that the town currently uses.

The transition process of converting systems is expected to begin as soon as possible.

“The biggest value is giving you guys your time back,” said Matthew Shafer, small business consultant and payroll specialist with Paychex.

The system can adapt depending on the current pay schedule and is adjustable based on the different departments and the varying number of full-time and part-time employees.

With the new system, employees will be able to receive direct deposit and also track their hours worked, as well as vacation time.

The cost for the payroll service is an estimated $210 a month, which is based on the 43 employees currently with the town.

One of the biggest advantages of making the switch, is the fact that it will free up a couple of hours per week for town clerk Crystal Smith that she can therefore dedicate to other duties of the job.

During the department reports, Fire Chief Lee Gunn updated the Council about a house fire that occurred the previous week on Michigan Avenue.

According to Gunn, the response time included the first engine arriving on the scene in seven minutes and the second engine was there in 12 minutes.

“They’ve been remodeling and the fire started in a dumpster outside the house,” Gunn said. “It’s easy to declare that a fire was started, but it’s a lot harder to find out who started it.”

In other news from the meeting, the Council:

• Approved the implementation of a new fire hydrant near the intersection of Pit Street and Indiana Avenue. The project will cost $10,000 and will be handled in house.
• Accepted the resignation letter of Wayne Nelson from the Variance Board.
• Approved repairs to the Fire Department’s Chevrolet Tahoe. The repairs are estimated at $4,200.
• Approved the minutes from the previous meeting on Feb. 6.
• Approved to pay the bills and transfer the funds.