The Owen County Board of Commissioners told department heads and council members they plan to hire a human‑resources administrator and aim to have the position in place by the end of March.

Commissioners said they have received applications and that county leaders, elected officials and department heads will participate in the selection and interview process. The board discussed whether to hire a full‑time county employee, a part‑time staffer or retain an outside firm to provide HR services. Several commissioners said they favor a full‑time, on‑site presence to relieve the auditor’s office of HR duties including benefits administration, hiring, exit interviews and insurance claims processing.

The commissioners asked staff to coordinate a follow‑up administrative meeting with the county council, department heads and interested stakeholders to finalize the job description and funding. They suggested a meeting in mid‑March; later in the session the board set a tentative administrative meeting for Friday the 14th at 11 a.m. to continue planning.

Ending: County staff will gather job descriptions and funding options, and the commission will return to the matter at the scheduled administrative meeting to finalize the recruitment plan and funding request for the council.