NOCOMO moves to quarterly board meetings

At the November 22 NOCOMO Industries Board of Directors meeting, it was decided to meet on a quarterly basis instead of every other month beginning at 5:30 pm, December 14.

The new meeting dates will be in March, June, September and December, tentatively set for 5:30 pm on the second Wednesday of the month.

Board Member Tim Wilmes requested Workshop Manager Nicki Samson to email the financial reports to the board monthly. Samson said the workshop is monitored by the Department of Labor, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Nodaway County Commissioners and the SB40 Board, plus the workshop has an annual audit.

The board also changed the sheltered workshop’s mission statement from “Providing Dignified Employment for Those with Disabilities” to “Dignified Employment for Those with Different Abilities.”

Samson reminded the board the minimum wage raises to $12 an hour January 1, 2023. This will cause the certified employees’ wages to be recalculated.

“I’d pay a million dollars an hour to every employee if someone could tell me where the money would come from,” Samson said.

The workshop average hourly wage is currently $5 which is higher than some of the other workshops in the state Samson explained. These will go up at January 1, 2023.

The workshop is not currently selling as many pallets so it has cut back on production. The recycling market has dropped again and Samson is searching for new sources to sell the recyclables.

“We’re providing a service,” Samson said. “We don’t want to put the recyclables in the landfill.”

Samson has already purchased and received the certified employees’ Christmas gifts as she was concerned about supply-chain issues.

There were no safety or health issues reported at NOCOMO. Samson said the workshop is in compliance on all aspects.