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Commissioners approve several hiring actions, postpone senior‑planner hire and defer permanent change in Community Development admin staffing
Summary
The board approved a hiring‑freeze exception for a Community Development director and a commercial appraiser, postponed a senior‑planner exception until after director recruitment, and directed HR to return with an alternate proposal on converting a temporary admin role.
Walla Walla County commissioners approved multiple personnel actions and debated how to handle an on‑call administrative role in Community Development.
The board approved a hiring‑freeze exception to hire a Community Development director and separately approved a hiring‑freeze exception for an assessor’s commercial appraiser. Commissioners discussed and then voted to postpone action on a senior‑planner hiring‑freeze exception until the new director is in place so that leadership can weigh in on recruitment.
Human resources risk manager Josh Griffith presented a proposal to convert a temporary, on‑call senior administrative assistant position in Community Development to a non‑temporary part‑time on‑call role to provide coverage for extended absences (FMLA/PFMLA). Commissioners expressed concern about creating permanent positions during a department transition and suggested extending the temporary position for six months or returning with a revised proposal after the director is hired. The board directed staff to draft a different proposal rather than approve a permanent conversion at this meeting.
The board also approved payroll action forms and formalized a future agenda item to confirm Melissa Shoemake as acting community development director at the Nov. 17 meeting.
