Pine County board approves personnel committee recommendations including regrades and backfills

The Pine County Board approved the March 9 Personnel Committee recommendations on March 17, authorizing retirements, backfills and classification changes across assessor, auditor-treasurer and health & human services units.

Key personnel actions approved include acknowledgement of the retirement of Property Appraiser Karen Stumne (effective May 6, 2026) and Case Aide Laurie Tavernier (effective May 22, 2026); promotion of full-time Correction Officer Joe Okerstrom to Senior Corrections Officer effective March 22, 2026 at $33.03 per hour; reclassification of a Grade 2 Office Support Specialist to Grade 5 Case Aide to increase HHS capacity; recruitment of a "hire-ahead" Eligibility Worker in anticipation of leave and retirement; and regrading the Deputy Environmental Services Manager position from Grade 11 to Grade 10 due to statutory supervisory definition, producing approximately $3,786 in annual savings with no change to headcount.

Commissioner Matt Ludwig introduced the Personnel Committee report and moved to approve the recommendations; Commissioner Steve Hallan seconded and the motion passed 5-0 on a roll-call vote. Board discussion touched on state reimbursement for Eligibility Worker funding, the hire-ahead rationale due to training time, and the statutory basis for the Deputy Environmental Services Manager regrade.

Next steps: Human Resources is authorized to execute a Memorandum of Agreement to include the regraded position in the bargaining unit and county hiring will proceed for backfill and recruitment actions noted at the meeting.