Lane County commissioners rate county counsel—xcelling, direct HR to prepare board order

The Lane County Board of Commissioners discussed the county counsel's first evaluation period and directed human resources to prepare a board order documenting the rating and goals for the coming year.

Chief Human Resources Officer Alana Holmes told the board the evaluation package included a 360-degree survey, the counsel's self-evaluation, the employment agreement and the board order that documented goals for the period. "We had an opportunity, for an overview. We had provided the board with information that includes a 3 60 degree survey, the county council's self evaluation, employment agreement, and then the board order that documented the goals for this period," Holmes said.

Holmes said evaluations were sent to 24 reviewers and 15 responded, a roughly 62.5% response rate, and that the board used a three-point rating scale: "needs improvement," "meets expectations" and "excels." "For this period, the board has rated county council that as excelling in his first evaluation period," she said.

Commissioners offered largely laudatory comments in open session, noting the counsel's knowledge and solution-focused approach and encouraging continued relationship building and workload management. Commissioner Farr said counties are "the most important form of government" and praised the counsel's customer-service and solution orientation. Commissioner Beck and other commissioners likewise commended the counsel's knowledge and adaptability.

County counsel (name not specified in the public record provided) spoke briefly, thanking staff and colleagues and expressing appreciation for the opportunity and the work of multiple county teams.

Holmes told the board that HR recommended preparing a board order documenting the evaluation, rating and goals based on the day's discussion and placing that order on the consent calendar. The board signaled agreement by head nods and informal direction rather than a recorded roll-call vote; the chair noted Commissioner Trigger was absent and the board continued with four members present.

Earlier in the meeting, the board read into the record four executive sessions scheduled under Oregon public records law, ORS 192.660, listing subsections cited by staff for personnel evaluation, consultation with counsel on litigation and other exempt matters. The board emphasized that no decisions may be made in executive session and that media representatives allowed in executive session are "directed not to report on any deliberations during the executive sessions except to state the general subject of the session as previously announced." The board announced return to public session on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at 9 a.m. in Harris Hall.

The board did not take a formal recorded vote on the HR direction during the public discussion; HR will return with a draft board order to be placed on a future consent calendar if the board confirms the direction by formal action at that time.