Kittitas County commissioners hold closed personnel session, direct HR and prosecutor to continue contract development

The Kittitas County Board of Commissioners met in a special session on May 18, 2026, and recessed into closed executive sessions to consider a personnel matter. Vice Chairman Brett Wachsmith opened the meeting at 11:30 a.m. and announced the board would enter a 30-minute executive session under RCW 42.30.110(g) “To evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for public employment or to review the performance of a public employee.” The meeting record lists Vice Chairman Brett Wachsmith and Commissioner Laura Osiadacz as present; Chairman Cory Wright was excused.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney III Therese Murphy joined the meeting at 11:35 a.m., according to the minutes. The board reconvened briefly at 12:00 p.m.; the minutes state explicitly that "no action taken" at that reconvene. At 12:01 p.m. the board recessed again into executive session for 60 minutes with Chief Civil Deputy Prosecutor Stephanie Hartung, Director of Public Works Josh Fredrickson, Director of Human Resources Jeanne Kilgore, and Auditor Bryan Elliott in attendance.

When the board reconvened at 1:01 p.m., the minutes record direction that the Human Resources Department and the Prosecuting Attorney’s office continue contract development. The meeting adjourned at 1:02 p.m. The minutes do not record a formal vote, an appointment, or the final terms of any contract; they record only the board’s direction to staff to continue developing a contract related to the personnel matter.