Kootenai County commissioners approve multiple personnel classification changes, relocation reimbursement and temporary sheriff’s extension

Kootenai County commissioners approved a series of personnel actions at their Human Resources meeting on Aug. 21, 2025, voting to downgrade and refill an assessor mapping post, reorganize reprographics under Building and Grounds with two new classifications, release a previously authorized $2,500 relocation reimbursement for a former prosecuting-attorney hire who met a 12-month employment condition, and extend a temporary civil deputy specialist position in the sheriff’s office for four months. The board also entered and exited an executive session under Idaho Code 74-206(1)(b) and (1)(a) and directed staff to proceed as discussed.

At the start of the business agenda, the board considered a request to downgrade an assessor mapping position from "Cadastral Mapping Specialist 2" to "Cadastral Mapping Specialist 1" so the county could refill a vacancy at a lower grade. Shelly Amos, speaking for the request, said, "All we are doing is requesting to get downgrade the position so we can refill a position that somebody had left at a higher grade." Commissioners approved the downgrade; the position is 50% funded, and staff said the downgrade had to be completed before the county could open recruitment.

The board next approved an initial classification evaluation to reorganize reprographics under the Building and Grounds department. The reorganization combines a mail handler and a maintenance assistant into a single position at grade 2. County staff present described the change as an administrative reorganization meant to consolidate mailing and light maintenance duties and asked the board only to approve the grades for the two new positions.

Related to reprographics, the board approved a reclassification to replace the current manager position with an assistant manager position at grade 7 after the manager said she will retire at the end of the fiscal year. County staff indicated the change aligns the reprographics supervisor role with the new reporting structure under Building and Grounds.

Prosecuting Attorney Stanley Mortensen asked the board to release a previously approved relocation reimbursement of up to $2,500 for an employee who moved from Michigan. Mortensen said the board approved the reimbursement when the employee was hired, contingent on 12 months of county service; the employee completed the 12 months and then resigned. "He fulfilled his end of the bargain, so we must as well," Mortensen told the board. Commissioners voted to pay the reimbursement; staff said the payment will be processed through payroll or payables as appropriate.

Captain Andy Deak of the sheriff’s office requested an extension of a temporary seasonal, non-benefited civil deputy specialist position for another four months while the office completes background checks for two candidates. Deak said one candidate is scheduled for polygraph testing and the extension may not be needed if that candidate clears background checks. The board approved the extension.

Before adjourning, the board moved into executive session citing Idaho Code 74-206(1)(b) and (1)(a) for agenda items 6 and 7. After exiting the closed session, the board voted to "exit executive session with staff to proceed as discussed." The transcript does not provide the substance of the executive-session discussion; the board’s public action on exit directed staff to carry out the steps discussed behind closed doors.

Votes at a glance

- Downgrade: Cadastral Mapping Specialist 2 → Cadastral Mapping Specialist 1 (assessor mapping). Outcome: approved. The position is 50% funded; recruitment may begin after the downgrade is effective.

- Reorganization: Move reprographics into Building and Grounds; combine mail handler and maintenance assistant into one grade-2 position. Outcome: approved.

- Reclassification: Replace manager of reprographics with assistant manager at grade 7 (reprographics reorganization). Outcome: approved.

- Relocation reimbursement: Release up to $2,500 to a former hire in the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office who met the 12-month service condition. Outcome: approved. Staff said payment will be processed through payroll/payables.

- Temporary extension: Extend civil deputy specialist (temporary seasonal, non-benefited) in Sheriff’s Office for four months while background checks complete; may be cancelled if candidate clears polygraph. Outcome: approved.

What the record shows

The transcript records brief staff presentations and short commissioner questions on each personnel item; most votes passed without extended debate. Where the transcript records explicit statements, the article quotes them directly. The executive-session citation appears as Idaho Code 74-206(1)(b) and (1)(a); the meeting record shows only that the board met in closed session and later directed staff to proceed as discussed.

Ending

County staff will proceed with the classification and posting steps and will process the relocation reimbursement through county payroll/payables. Recruitment and hiring for the changed or new positions will follow county hiring rules and the effective dates discussed by staff (the reprographics hires were noted as not hireable until Oct. 1 under the presented timeline unless otherwise authorized).