Kendall County commissioners authorize hiring committee to make offer for sanitarian administrator

At a special called meeting on Feb. 27, the Kendall County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to authorize its sanitary hiring committee to determine appropriate compensation under the county pay plan and to extend an offer for the sanitarian administrator position.

The action followed the announced retirement of longtime county sanitarian Brenda Bell and discussion about an immediate staffing gap. Commissioner Chapman moved to give the committee the authority to make an offer under the county salary scale; the motion was seconded and carried 5–0.

The vote matters because the vacancy is imminent and the court concluded the department could not operate without a licensed sanitarian. Commissioner Chapman, who requested the special meeting, said the personnel timeline had accelerated and the county needed authority to act sooner than the regular court schedule would allow. "I'm going to ask the court to give the committee the ability to go ahead and make an offer and hire," Chapman said.

Brenda Bell, whose departure the court marked with a plaque, spoke directly to the court and told commissioners she would help recruit candidates. "I'm blessed to have been here for 26 years," Bell said, while the court noted she had provided more than two decades of service.

Commissioners described the practical challenge: the leading candidate the hiring committee identified listed a current salary of about $111,000 on his application, while the county's published pay range for the proposed step and grade (grade 15, step 4) would place the position at roughly $80,350. County staff and commissioners discussed two near-term options: (1) make an offer at the highest step allowed under the current scale and see whether the candidate will accept, or (2) engage a short-term third-party contractor to provide licensed sanitarian services while the court develops a longer-term pay-policy or a combined code compliance/sanitarian classification.

Judge Filarczyk said purchasing was asked to get quotes from firms that provide licensed sanitarian services as a stopgap. Staff also reported existing advertising (Texas Association of Counties, the county website and Alamo Workforce Solutions) and said additional channels (Indeed, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter and Texas Municipal League) could be used. David Soltenfuss noted the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation keeps a listing of registered sanitarians that the county could mail to recruit candidates.

The motion authorized a hiring committee consisting of Commissioner Chapman, Juanita Espino, David Soltenfuss and Juan Cardona to make an offer "as per our salary scale" for the sanitarian administrator position. Commissioner Chapman moved the motion; the second was made by Judge Filarczyk. Commissioners McCall, Wiesen, Chapman, Carpenter and Judge Filarczyk all voted aye. The motion carried 5–0.

The court discussed bringing a contract for temporary services to the next regular meeting in March if needed and said policy changes about a combined compliance role would be considered later. With the vote concluded, the special called meeting was adjourned at 9:34 a.m.

Action recorded: hiring committee authorized to extend an offer per county salary scale; no change to the pay plan or formal reclassification was adopted at this meeting.