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Supervisors add transition language to HR resignation agreement and form hiring committee amid public criticism
Summary
The board approved an addendum clarifying on‑call administrative leave and onboarding duties for outgoing HR director Regina Limerick, named members of a hiring committee for a new HR director and heard a lengthy public comment criticizing the severance terms.
Pottawattamie County supervisors on July 12 approved an addendum to a resignation acceptance and release agreement for the county’s outgoing human resources director and established a hiring committee for the HR director search.
The addendum clarifies that the departing HR director will remain on paid administrative leave during a transition period — no longer than through the end of her contract (stated in the meeting as June 30) — and that she will make herself reasonably available on an "on-call" basis to assist with onboarding and training of the incoming HR director and with seasonal hiring. The addendum explicitly states she will not participate in union negotiations or perform disciplinary duties for other departments; she may retain access to county email, laptop and phone during the on-call period and must return credentials and property when the transition ends.
A county attorney (presenting the addendum) told the board the language memorializes terms the board and the departing director had previously discussed but that had not been included in the original written agreement. The presenter said the addendum does not change the financial terms of the earlier agreement; the biweekly payments and other financial components remain the same.
The board also approved a hiring committee to screen applicants and conduct initial interviews for the HR director vacancy. Supervisors approved the committee membership as recommended: Garfield Coleman, Matt Wyatt, Mitch Kai, Steve Wigman, Winchell and Jamie Baron (names as recorded in the meeting). The board said it expects the committee to recommend finalists for the board’s consideration; historically, the board has interviewed the top two candidates for final selection.
During the public-comment period, Veronica Berson of Council Bluffs addressed the board. Berson criticized the board’s earlier decision not to renew a previous county official and condemned the severance and release agreement, calling the payout “unconscionable” and saying the terms sent a message of mismanagement and poor stewardship of county resources. Berson asked why the county would pay more than $112,000 and provide nearly a year of benefits to a departing official while ongoing recruitment and retention challenges affect public safety and other departments.
The board voted to approve the addendum and the hiring committee. The county attorney said he would deliver the finalized documents to the chairman for signature and forward them to staff for processing.
Ending: With the addendum approved and the hiring committee formed, the county will proceed with onboarding tasks for the HR vacancy and the committee’s initial screening; public criticism signaled continuing community interest in the personnel decisions and severance terms.
