Pine County commissioners set backfill timing policy, approve waivers for critical roles

Pine County commissioners agreed at their Oct. meeting to interpret the county's two-month backfill waiting period as starting from an employee's last day, not from the date the resignation is acknowledged at personnel committee, and approved multiple waivers for critical positions so departments can begin recruitment sooner.

The decision follows a lengthy personnel-committee discussion in which county staff presented two timing options and a case-study timeline. County Auditor-Treasurer Kelly Schroeder explained that starting the two-month clock at the personnel-committee step would push…