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Commission reviews proposal to hire contracted public information officer; vote tabled pending cost details
Summary
The commission heard a proposal from communications consultant Chris Larson to serve as a contracted public information officer (PIO) for Walsh County on a six-month trial; commissioners asked for estimated equipment and service costs and deferred a decision.
Chris Larson (PIO candidate) joined the meeting via Zoom and described a six-month contract proposal to provide public information services for Walsh County. Larson offered to develop proactive communications, draft or coordinate press releases and assist department heads with media interactions; he said he would seek county sign-off on any materials before publication.
Why it matters: The county’s timely, coordinated messaging — especially on complex, high-profile topics such as the jail project — was cited as a reason to consider an external PIO. Commissioners and staff said a PIO could improve media relations and public outreach for capital projects and emergency messaging.
What was proposed and next steps
Larson proposed a six-month contracted trial. He asked the county to provide a dedicated laptop and a county cell phone plan for the role; county commissioners asked staff to provide an estimate of the one-time device cost and ongoing phone-service charges before taking a vote. The commission did not authorize the contract at the meeting and asked staff to return cost estimates and a draft contract for review at the next meeting.
Quote
“I don’t publish anything that is not approved by at least one, if not more people,” Larson said, describing his approach to working with department heads and elected officials.
Ending
The commission tabled a decision pending a short cost estimate for equipment and service; commissioners said they would revisit the item at the next meeting.
