Washington County reviews Clean Water Services general manager recruitment brochure; sets application timeline

At a Jan. 2026 Washington County Clean Water Services work session, commissioners reviewed a recruitment brochure and selection standards for the agency’s general manager and agreed to finalize minor wording and layout edits before a public hearing and business meeting.

Consultants from Raftelis and CWS staff presented the brochure, which they described as a marketing tool to attract candidates while retaining the formal qualifications and selection criteria in the job description. Dan from Raftelis said the brochure was “sort of a kickoff for us, it's also the culmination of, many, many months of work.” The board heard that the brochure will be used for recruitment and outreach while the standards and criteria remain the authoritative selection document.

Why it matters: Clean Water Services serves a large service area and an agency of this size; commissioners emphasized that the recruitment language, images and qualifications will shape who applies and how candidates perceive the agency. During the discussion commissioners noted the need to strike a balance between acknowledging past challenges and presenting CWS as a forward-looking employer.

Board members focused on three areas: tone and imagery, priority language, and qualifications. Several commissioners said leading verbs in the priorities (for example, Reaffirm or Restore) risked implying the agency is in distress; others argued explicitly recognizing past challenges was necessary to reflect public concerns and the need to rebuild trust. Chair Catherine Harrington suggested adding a brief introductory sentence that affirms the agency’s strong track record and frames the listed priorities as the next phase of organizational evolution.

Commissioners discussed image selection for the brochure and generally favored staff or team photos to emphasize workforce leadership rather than large abstract or lab images. They also reviewed the qualifications section and encouraged flexibility in experience requirements to avoid excluding capable nontraditional candidates while ensuring any hire could manage an agency of CWS’s size and complexity.

On timing, consultants explained a four-week posting is standard. The board was asked to approve a recruitment schedule that lists Feb. 16 as the application deadline, with the possibility of extending the posting if the candidate pool proved thin. Commissioners reserved time on calendars for interviews; staff and consultants will return on Feb. 10 to finalize interview questions and logistics. Chair Harrington said she was “comfortable that we're on board to have the public hearing and take the action today,” while noting final edits would be made before any formal vote.

Next steps: staff and the consultants will incorporate the minor wording and layout changes discussed, make the selection criteria available alongside the brochure, and proceed to the scheduled public hearing and the business meeting where the board expects to take formal action. Interview logistics and question sets will be addressed at a Feb. 10 meeting.

Quotes from the meeting include consultant Dan of Raftelis: “this is sort of a kickoff for us, it's also the culmination of, many, many months of work,” and Chair Catherine Harrington: “I still feel comfortable that we're on board to have the public hearing and take the action today.”

The board paused the work session and planned to reconvene for the business meeting at 1 p.m.