Kittitas County commissioners ask staff for analysis before hiring a communications director

County IT and finance staff briefed the Kittitas County Board of Commissioners on June 2 about options for establishing a Communications Director position or contracting communications services, and the Board asked staff to return with a preliminary analysis before taking further action.

Doug Fessler, the county IT director, and Zack DeHaven, budget and finance director, presented on behalf of the Central Services Committee. They told the Board that they had received differing direction from Board members and were seeking clarity on whether the CSC should rank a communications director among its projects for the year. Commissioners expressed concern about the financial impact of creating a new position and where such a role would be housed within county administration. The Board also discussed contracting for communications services, including concerns about what product a contractor would deliver and the risk that a contractor or PR firm could terminate the relationship.

Board members said they wanted to see how a communications director position would interact with existing county Public Information Officers and staff PIO functions. The Board directed staff to provide a preliminary analysis outlining options, costs, and how the role would coordinate with other county PIOs and return that analysis for later consideration. No formal motion to create or fund a position was made at this meeting.