The Carbon County Salary Board took the first step with several positions on raising pay grades as it waits for a salary study that has been in the works for over a year.

On Thursday, the board approved several motions that removed the grade 4 pay scale and moved those positions up to a grade 5 pay scale.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that the movement is that the board is “making an effort to bring up the lower pay scales.”

“We feel it’s a step in the right direction for at least our lowest paid personnel at this particular time,” Nothstein said, adding that the county is hoping to receive the salary study soon.

He said that this move shows the personnel, as well as potential employees that the county is trying to move forward with the salaries to be more competitive with surrounding counties.

The positions with a grade 4, step B that were affected by Thursday’s meeting include 14 positions in parks; 13 positions in the summer program; four positions in buildings and grounds; three positions each in the clerk of courts office and elections bureau; two positions each in the district attorney’s, commissioners’ parking fund and treasurer’s offices; one in each the domestic relations, archives, prothonotary’s and recorder of deeds offices.

These positions’ rates went from $11.16 per hour to $11.38 per hour, a grade 5, step A; and are all effective July 11.

Other positions in the grade 4 pay scale that were affected include:

• One clerical specialist in juvenile court from $11.83 per hour to $11.38 per hour. This move is due to a person leaving and resetting the position back to step A in the pay grade.

• One clerical specialist in district attorney’s office from $11.49 per hour to $11.38 per hour. This move is due to a person leaving and resetting the position back to step A in the pay grade.

• One part-time cleaning person from $11.49 to $12.07 per hour.

• Establish the position of one part-time clerical specialist at the animal shelter at $11.38 per hour, effective July 7.

• Two part-time clerks in archives from $11.49 to $12.07 per hour.

• One part-time parking/meter attendant from $13.32 to $13.99 per hour.

• Two part-time parking/meter attendants from $11.83 to $12.43 per hour.

• One part-time parking/meter attendant from $11.49 to $12.07 per hour.

• One seasonal park ranger II from $14.55 to $15.28 per hour.

• Two seasonal park ranger II from $11.83 to $12.43 per hour.

• Three seasonal park ranger II from $11.49 to $12.07 per hour.

• Two seasonal park maintenance from $11.49 to $12.07 per hour.

• Two part-time seasonal park maintenance from $11.49 to $12.07 per hour.

• Three lifeguards from $11.83 to $12.43 per hour.

• Four lifeguards from $11.49 to $12.07 per hour.