Butler County will retain the use of compensatory time for its employees as an alternate to paid overtime, for now.

Commissioner Dale Pinkerton on Wednesday withdrew a motion that would have eliminated comp time if it was passed.

Pinkerton said the current policy will remain the same for now. In the meantime, the commissioners will meet with department heads individually to determine what their needs are for staffing, overtime and comp time.

County Controller Ben Holland said he was happy that the commissioners were removing the motion. He said that comp time can be useful for employees, and said he thinks that overtime pay really should only be used as a way to avoid hiring new employees.

On Monday, Pinkerton said he felt that overtime pay would be necessary to keep county departments staffed, and that employees need extra money instead of time off.

Officials said employees still have 2,801 unused hours of comp time from 2014, which would equate to about $64,000 in overtime wages.

Additionally during Wednesday’s meeting:

• Commissioners voted to amend the contract with PCN Senior Center Management, which manages the county’s senior centers, to run the Zelienople senior center for up to 90 days.

Currently, the county is in talks with the Passavant Community Senior Living Community to run the center there.

In June, the county voted on a new contract with PCN that reduced operating hours at the centers. The county now only provides meals at the West Sunbury center while it is managed by West Sunbury Presbyterian Church. The county also provides meals at the Zelienople center.

Commissioner Jim Eckstein said he felt that the county handled the senior center contract poorly, and said he felt that it should have retained management of the Zelienople center. He said that facility did not charge the county rent for the center.

Commissioner Bill McCarrier, board chairman, said he was confident that the center will stay open.

“I have every confidence that (Area Agency on Aging administrator) Beth (Herold) will keep this open,” McCarrier said.

• Commissioners voted to allow the Glade Run Lake Conservancy to use $110,000 in Marcellus Shale natural gas Legacy Fund money for improvements.

The project will improve the fish habitat at Glade Run Lake in Middlesex Township while it is being refilled, and also will entail refurbishing the fishing jetty there.

Eckstein said he was proud of the conservancy and happy with the project. McCarrier noted that the money does not come out of the county’s general fund, and said that Legacy Fund money must be used for park projects.

The lake was drained in 2011 after its dam was found to be leaking and presenting a safety hazard. In 2014, Gov. Tom Corbett announced that repairs to the dam would be funded.

• Commissioners voted to approve Plavchak Construction of Jefferson Hills to do site improvements and paving for Jade’s Dog Park at Alameda Park. The company will be paid $152,100 for these items.

The project is being paid for with donated money. Parks and Recreation Director Gary Pinkerton said the department is working on fundraisers to cover other aspects of the project.

• Commissioners approved a three-year contract with David Montgomery to provide legal services for the Children and Youth Agency. The three-year contract will pay $9,166 per month.

• Eckstein during public comment apologized to Jo Donaldson, an Area Agency on Aging employee who was fired in 2013 for alleged misconduct.

Last week, the Commonwealth Court ruled that Donaldson should get her job back and get back pay. The court said the county Alternative Dispute Resolution panel’s decision to uphold Donaldson’s firing was not in accordance with the law and was based on “improperly adduced law and facts.”

Eckstein claimed that Donaldson’s back pay could cost the county $100,000. He said she is not at fault, but several county officials are instead, saying that he was the only one advocating on Donaldson’s behalf.

County solicitor Mike English said the county is not sure how much Donaldson’s back pay will cost the county, and said the county did not have any formal comment.

• Commissioners voted to appoint Sarah Forbes and Carmine Scotece, and reappoint Bruce Mazzoni, Gordon Marburger and Scott McDowell to the Butler County Community College board of trustees.

Scotece’s appointment did not happen without some drama. Eckstein claimed he would vote against him because he would like to see more diversity on the board.

Pinkerton said that Scotece, the former county human services director, ran an excellent department that other counties looked up to, and said that he would not understand any vote against him.

Eckstein asked to respond. Pinkerton said Eckstein was “done,” but McCarrier said he was allowed to respond. Eckstein then claimed that Scotece “screamed” at him during a meeting in Pittsburgh, which he found to be “beyond belief.”