County seeks part‑time dietitian position after contract lapse; committee forwards request to personnel

Washington County Department of Social Services requested the Health and Human Services Committee’s approval on July 30 to add a part‑time Nutrition Services Specialist that requires registered‑dietitian certification. The position is intended to replace services previously provided under contract for menu analysis, nutrition education and individual counseling tied to the county’s nutrition and senior meals programs.

Staff said the county had budgeted $29,000 in the 2025 budget to contract for registered‑dietitian services but that a competitive RFP produced no responses. The department has used the Association on Aging’s registered dietitian on a temporary basis; the state advised that arrangement should be temporary. Staff proposed a part‑time civil‑service position at grade 16 and said funding for the remainder of 2025 already exists in the budget. Committee members asked about hours (staff estimated an average of 16 hours per week), whether other county departments could share staff, and the broader state shortage and market rate for RDs (staff reported a statewide average contract rate of about $62 per hour and said the county previously contracted at about $35 per hour).

Committee members voted to forward the staffing‑pattern amendment to the personnel committee for formal job‑classification work and to continue access to the Association on Aging’s RD on a temporary basis while recruitment proceeds.

Ending: Personnel staff will evaluate the proposed title and grade; the county will continue temporary coverage by the Association on Aging until a position is filled or another contract is arranged.