Board raises alarms about long‑open positions; staff outline recruitment steps and proposals

Board members spent a substantial portion of the July 21 meeting pressing staff for details about a lingering set of vacancies across the department and countywide. The chair said publicly posted openings dating back into 2024 raise the question of whether positions are necessary or whether work is being done by overburdened staff.

Directors and staff described multiple causes: competition from higher‑paying local employers, differences in benefits and pension structures, difficulty recruiting for specialized roles (for example, the maternal‑child coordinator has attracted no recent resumes), and sector‑wide workforce shortages. One director said her kennel‑coordinator recruitment produced 30–40 applications, some qualified, indicating hiring outcomes vary by role.

Staff described steps already in progress: HR outreach to high schools and community colleges, consideration of skill‑based hiring where statutory credentials do not preclude it, evaluating whether to split or reclassify jobs (the board discussed temporarily splitting a manager role into two positions and compensating staff who take on additional duties), and potential use of temporary or contracted staff for hard‑to‑fill roles. Board members proposed quarterly personnel reports and inviting HR to present outreach strategies to the board.

Board members urged clearer public communications about workload and openings to improve recruitment and public understanding. Directors said some roles cannot be filled remotely or flexibly because they are public‑facing, but noted they are exploring flexible hours and tuition reimbursement to improve recruitment.

The board did not take a final personnel action at the meeting but directed staff to pursue the recruitment initiatives and provide further reporting.