The Human Resources director updated the Bonner County Board of Commissioners on employee wellness, hiring and policy work during a short meeting on Nov. 24. "We had 39 participants," the HR Director said of a recent biometric screening event, noting 44 employees had signed up and the new vendor is finalizing billing after prior vendor problems.

The director said candidate interviews for the vacant planning director position — left open since Jacob Bell’s departure Sept. 13 — are underway. "As of today, we've had 11 applicants apply for the position; of those, 5 have been deemed... qualified," the director said, adding one Zoom interview was scheduled for later the day and four more the following day (three local candidates and one near Calgary).

On budgeting, the director said HR will take primary responsibility for personnel budget sheets in the FY26 process while auditing focuses on operations and capital. The office met with the clerk and comptroller and plans a December follow-up to prepare for February budget work. The director warned that projections remain a challenge tied to Munis enterprise software and timing of financial reports.

Policy work is advancing: the director said the final draft of policy 500 (compensation policy clarifications) is complete and has been sent to legal for review before appearing on the next regular business meeting agenda. "Initially when I got here I was trying to work on the compensation policy... and then after being here for 3 months and reading it, it actually made my head hurt," the HR Director said, describing plans to split complex sections for clarity. The director also said the benefits policy (policy 700) is being edited to remove EMS‑specific language and to update holiday schedules, and that HR is developing a volunteer and intern policy to address conduct, risk and liability for volunteers across county programs.

Commissioners raised procedural details — urging HR to follow up with managers when employees sign up for optional events, and asking that overtime, anticipated retirements, turnover estimates and PTO payouts be included in personnel budget checklists. The director agreed that standardized checklists and repeatable administrative tools are a goal so operations run smoothly day to day.

The HR Director said interviews and filling the key leadership vacancy will be the immediate post‑holiday focus for the office. The board did not take formal action during the update; staff described next steps of legal review for policies and continued coordination on hiring and budget preparation.