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Commissioners agree to consider outsourcing HR after consultant presentation; item set for June 9
Summary
A Kansas City HR consultant outlined a bundled proposal to serve as Bourbon County's outsourced human resources department. Commissioners asked for fee details and agreed to discuss the proposal at the June 9 meeting.
A consultant for municipal human resources told Bourbon County commissioners on Monday that his firm could act as the county's HR department on a bundled-fee basis and recommended governance and harassment-prevention systems the county lacks.
The offer came from Steve Cohen, who identified himself as an HR consultant and said his firm would provide job descriptions, policy manuals, wage-and-salary planning, training and an employee hotline. "If the county approved it, then we would act as your HR director and HR department," Cohen said.
County officials said the county recently lost its interim HR staff and has no dedicated HR coverage. Commissioners asked for the consultant's written fee information and supporting materials in the meeting packet. Commissioner Milburn asked that the proposal be placed on the June 9 agenda so the board could consider the costs and compare options. "We'll bring this back to the June 9 meeting," Milburn said.
Why this matters: County officials said they want quicker, consistent handling of employee complaints and alleged harassment so the county reduces legal exposure and retains staff. Cohen told the board that documented prevention and training lower employer liability in harassment cases.
Details: Cohen described a single, all-inclusive fee covering investigations, training and an employee hotline. He said the firm serves municipalities and counties across the region and can provide back-up coverage when an individual consultant is on leave. Commissioners asked staff to add the consultant's packet, including fees, to the June 9 materials so they could review and ask follow-up questions.
Next steps: Commissioners directed staff to include the consultant's proposal and fees in the June 9 packet and to arrange follow-up calls between the consultant and county officials.
Ending: No contract was approved at the June 2 meeting; the formal decision was postponed to give commissioners time to review written costs and to compare alternatives.
