County approves part-time nutrition services specialist position after RFP draws no responses
Summary
The personnel committee approved adding a part-time Nutrition Services Specialist (grade 16) after an RFP for a contracted registered dietitian drew no responses; staff discussed interim contract-group options and menu certification needs at the jail and senior services.
The personnel committee on July 10 approved adding a part-time Nutrition Services Specialist at Grade 16 after county staff said a recent RFP for a contracted registered dietitian returned no responses. Staff recommended the position as an in-house option to meet required nutrition oversight for the jail and Office for Aging (OFA), and to support other county nutrition needs.
Staff said the county had explored contracting with local providers and using group resources but found regional dietitian capacity limited. One board member said some local providers are "stretched" and that part-time arrangements often fail because the workload (for example, recertifying menus and substituting items when supplies run short) adds more hours to already busy staff schedules.
Why this matters: The Nutrition Services Specialist will perform menu certification duties required for institutional food service at the jail and OFA and provide continuity if contracted providers are unavailable. Staff said approved menus exist, but the specialist will be needed to recalculate menus and sign certifications when changes occur.
The motion to add the title-by-grade passed. Staff said the department will continue to explore contract and shared-service options while pursuing the part-time county position.
