E911 authority approves reposting director job with $5,000 recruitment bonus

The Lake County E911 Authority voted unanimously to repost the vacant director position with a revised pay scale and a $5,000 recruitment bonus.

Board members said the previous posting produced no viable applicants. The motion approved by voice vote directs staff to repost the job with an updated job description, a higher pay range and a $5,000 bonus (board discussion favored $4,000–$5,000 range; the board settled on $5,000). Members discussed posting strategies including county-managed postings, regional newspapers and recruiting firms; they also agreed staff may collect applicants now and share candidate information with a recruiting firm later if the authority engages one for a broader search.

Why it matters: The director role is the authority’s primary operational leadership position for the Emergency Communication Center. Board members said higher pay and a sign-on incentive are intended to increase candidate interest, especially during a slow hiring season in winter.

Implementation details discussed: - Bonus mechanics: Board members suggested paying the recruitment bonus in installments to encourage retention; specifics were not finalized at the meeting. - Recruitment channels: Options discussed included county job portal postings, regional newspapers (for example, Summit and adjacent-county outlets) and a national or specialized public-safety job board. The board also discussed a potential future partnership with a recruiting firm (KRW was mentioned) and agreed reposting now would allow the county to collect candidates and then forward viable applicants to a firm if retained.

The motion to repost the position with the revised pay scale, updated job description and $5,000 bonus passed on a 3-0 voice vote.