Kootenai County unfreezes recorder's specialist position, cites passport and recording workload

Kootenai County commissioners voted Oct. 16 to unfreeze a recording specialist position in the county recorder’s office after a presentation by Melinda Rotor and Clerk Jennifer Locke describing increased workloads and revenue trends.

Rotor read a memo and projections covering the last eight years, saying the recorder’s office had its second-highest year of passport processing since 2018 and that the U.S. Postal Service in the area no longer accepts passport applications. "The county receives $35 for every passport processed," Rotor said, and noted that passport processing is time intensive: about 20 to 25 minutes for a new employee and 10 to 15 minutes for experienced staff if documents are in order.

Rotor told commissioners the office is operating six positions including the manager, recently hired two new employees in May, lost two experienced employees to other county departments, and lost another recording specialist in August who moved out of state. She said it can take six months to one year to fully train a recording specialist and that prior staffing levels ranged from eight employees (Feb. 2018) to seven positions during 2021–2024. Rotor said revenue from recordings and passports increased by $123,463 from fiscal year 2024 to fiscal year 2025.

Commissioners noted the revenue trend and turnover; Commissioner Duncan said, "With the revenue covering it, it's reasonable." A motion to unfreeze the position passed with three ayes.

Rotor said the office will monitor demand and consider vacancy timing if revenues slow in the future; the commission did not adopt a permanent head-count change beyond unfreezing the position at this meeting.