County approves personnel changes, including regrades and backfill authorizations

The Pine County Board approved a slate of personnel items recommended by the personnel committee, including a job-description revision to an existing grade-7 community support technician position, a regrade request for the assistant county engineer position (from grade 16 to grade 17), authorization to backfill a part-time corrections officer vacancy in the sheriff’s jail, and ratification and authorization to backfill the environmental technician position vacated by Lucas Olson effective Jan. 11, 2025.

Personnel committee materials explained the community support technician revisions were intended to shift some duties that relate to family and child-protection work (referencing new statutory expectations that take effect Jan. 1, 2026), allowing certain tasks to be performed at the grade-7 level rather than requiring a social worker classification. The assistant county engineer regrade will raise the top of the pay scale but, according to staff, does not produce an immediate pay change for the incumbent. County staff said the environmental technician vacancy has been managed with contractor help for septic inspections and that filling the position would reduce outside contract costs.

Commissioners discussed the broader budget context and noted the county has delayed some backfills in the past when fiscal conditions required it; staff said departments often delay hiring when necessary and that the personnel committee and HR would provide additional context to commissioners on hiring timing when requested. The board approved the personnel committee recommendations by voice vote.