Pine County approves multiple personnel backfills, sets new county attorney pay scale and hires property appraiser

The Pine County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize multiple personnel backfills, approve revised solid-waste job descriptions and adopt a new county attorney pay scale during a regular meeting in May.

The actions approved by the board included acknowledging resignations and authorizing backfills for several county positions, ratifying separations, approving new job descriptions and grades for solid waste technician I and II, and adopting a proposed pay scale for assistant and senior county attorneys. The board also approved hiring Lake Newson as a property appraiser, effective May 27, at Grade 8, Step 1, $26.14 per hour.

The personnel committee presented a slate of items to the full board. The committee asked the board to “acknowledge your resignation of property appraiser Dylan Burpee, effective 05/02/2025 and authorize the backfill of the position,” and to ratify separations and backfills in the sheriff’s office, public works and land resources. The board approved those recommendations by motion and voice vote.

County Administrator Dave Mankie explained the recommended change to attorney compensation, saying the county has lacked a formal grid for county attorney positions and that the proposed scale would align attorneys with the county’s broader pay structure. “The county board doesn't technically have control over the pay on the attorneys,” Mankie said, describing how the new scale would route future adjustments through the personnel committee and the board.

Under the motion the board adopted, assistant county attorney salaries would start at $100,000 with a maximum of $138,174. Senior county attorney pay would start at $110,000 with a maximum set at $150,613. The board discussed earlier, conflicting figures during the meeting and clarified the figures in the motion before voting. Commissioners approved the pay-scale motion by voice vote.

On solid waste staffing, the board approved consolidated job descriptions for Solid Waste Technician I and II so employees can be assigned more flexibly between household hazardous waste and transfer-station duties. The changes recognize additional duties for Technician II, such as operating a skid steer, and clarify that two existing positions would be reclassified to Technician II rather than adding new headcount.

The meeting record shows the board moved to hire Lake Newson as property appraiser and approved the backfill process whenever internal promotions or lateral transfers create subsequent vacancies. That hiring motion carried on a voice vote.

The personnel slate also included ratifying separations: highway supervisor Chris Matrias (effective 04/01/2025) and land resources manager David Banta (effective 04/06/2025). The board approved the human resources manager’s authority to implement the solid-waste job-description changes, including any necessary memorandums of agreement with union representatives.

The board and staff noted that timing for filling some positions (for example, the land resources manager) may be delayed until after the county’s construction season to minimize disruption to operations.

Board action: motions to approve the personnel committee recommendations, the attorney pay-scale motion and the Lake Newson hiring motion were made, seconded and approved by voice vote.

The board did not adopt any policy changes beyond the pay-scale alignment and job-description updates; future pay adjustments for attorneys will be considered through the personnel committee and returned to the board for approval.