Idaho DEQ asks targeted pay increases to reduce turnover that officials say is slowing permits

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality told the Joint Appropriations Committee that high turnover among technical staff is lengthening permit timelines and that targeted pay increases, combined with the committee’s cost‑of‑compensation consideration, are needed to stabilize permitting programs.

Director Jess Byrne said recent turnover in specialized permitting positions has left the agency short‑staffed in air and surface‑water permitting. Byrne told the committee that some programs experienced vacancies in roughly half or more of the positions over the past year — for example, she said the agency’s air‑permit program had been averaging about 89 days to issue permits earlier, and now averages about 160 days — and that training new hires takes substantial time.

Why it matters: delayed permits can slow construction, industrial and municipal projects that require air quality or wastewater permits, Byrne said. The agency asked for targeted minimum hiring adjustments (to raise an entry step to about 83% of policy in most classes and to about 86% for particularly difficult positions) plus modest across‑the‑board adjustments tied to retention and equity.

What DEQ presented

- Vacancy and turnover pressures: The agency reported significant turnover in key programs. Byrne said the air‑quality permitting group recently saw about 50% vacancy, the surface‑water individual permit program had about 60% vacancy over the past year and the surface‑water general permit program also experienced elevated turnover over the last two years. The average tenure for new hires has been about 2.8 years, the director said, lengthening the time the agency must invest in training.

- Targeted pay proposal: Byrne described a plan, reflected in the governor’s budget recommendation, to raise entry‑level hiring comp ratios to 83% generally and to 86% for targeted hard‑to‑fill positions; the proposal also includes adjustments for current employees to reduce compression and retain trained staff. Byrne said the targeted package is designed to improve competitiveness for highly technical positions without adding a large number of new ongoing FTEs.

- Permitting impacts: Byrne told legislators the permitting delays are not merely paperwork: an unresolved permit can slow or stop a construction project that requires an air permit, and wastewater dischargers must have authorization before discharging. The agency said it prioritizes permits that hold up economic activity when evaluating the backlog.

- Wastewater and remediation funds: Committee staff highlighted that the Water Pollution Control Account has increased because a prior legislative transfer of general funds for wastewater and drinking‑water projects remains available; Byrne explained those project awards are now being funded and the account balance will decline as grants and loans are disbursed. Byrne also explained a long‑running program to build a basin remediation reserve (Bunker Hill basin remediation) and the use of transfers from the wastewater account to meet the state’s matching and operation‑and‑maintenance obligations.

Committee questions and follow‑up

Legislators asked for more granular detail on the targeted pay plan and how it maps to specific positions; Byrne agreed to follow up with the committee through the legislative analyst with position lists and expected comp‑ratio adjustments. Committee members also asked whether DEQ’s permitting workload or regulatory scope could be reduced; Byrne said the agency regularly evaluates regulations and had used zero‑based review processes to remove less‑effective programs in the past.

Direct quote and closing appeal

Byrne summarized the case for compensation changes: "Pride doesn't get permits out the door. Quality workers do. Making this investment in DEQ is an investment in Idaho." (Transcript quote corrected where the meeting transcription mis‑rendered the state name.)

Ending

The committee directed staff to follow up on the agency’s detailed pay proposals and supporting data; lawmakers flagged permitting delays as a business‑climate concern and asked the agency to return with position‑level detail and an explanation of how targeted hiring adjustments will improve permit timelines.