Board approves multiple job-description and grade updates; extends highway resignation and hires maintenance worker

The Cook County Board on Feb. 25 approved a package of job-description updates and grade changes covering six positions, extended a highway employee’s resignation date and approved a hire to backfill the vacancy.

Human Resources Director Allison (Lisonbee Plummer) summarized the recommended updates. The environmental specialist position (Tia Parks’ role) will be retitled agricultural inspector and reclassified from grade 160 to grade 170 as a supervisory role; a new part‑time environmental technician position will replace a seasonal position; the county engineer, information systems director (MIS director) and public health and human services director were recommended for grade changes; and public health educator job-family descriptions were updated with no grade change. HR explained the review process: incumbents and supervisors review draft descriptions, DDA (classification vendor) evaluates grade using a classification matrix, and the board approves final grades.

Commissioner Gamble and others emphasized the need for clear benchmarks and comparables; Commissioner Gamble referenced the Keystone classification work and the county’s recent pay-table changes. After discussion the board voted 4–1 to approve the job-description and job-grade updates; the clerk recorded four yeas and one nay.

Separately, the board approved a temporary extension of Curtis Loboda’s resignation to June 2, 2025, to allow on‑the‑job transfer of grader skills, and approved the hire of Paul Olin as maintenance worker 3 to backfill the soon-to-be-vacant position. County staff said Paul Olin will be hired at an early step and will receive training under the extended incumbent during the transition.

The board recorded the personnel package vote as 4 yes, 1 no; the resignation extension and hire were approved unanimously.