Kendall County weighs temporary coverage as health inspector hires finalize

Kendall County Commissioners Court heard updates on the Health Inspector Department’s staffing and discussed short‑term continuity measures while new hires finish relocation and start dates.

The presiding official said a candidate judged “very well qualified” was offered the health‑inspector position and requested a May 11 start date while another candidate requested a two‑week extension to May 15 because of a family emergency and moving logistics. “He only has 3 or 4 years of, good experience, but, he interviewed well,” the presiding official said when summarizing the interviews and offer process. The court was told Juanita submitted a written recommendation supporting the top candidate.

Commissioners debated options to keep the office functional before both positions are staffed: temporarily assigning an employee currently on loan from another department, having commissioners fill a one‑day‑per‑week schedule to take walk‑ins, or contracting through a temp agency. Mary Ellen, who has been tracking calls since the office moved some operations to the 400 Blanco Building, said the county logged 45 health‑department calls through the end of March that Kim handled from that location. “Through the… month of March, there have been 45 calls that Kim has taken that were specifically for the health department,” she said.

Court members discussed practical steps to reduce public confusion if services move temporarily: make forms downloadable, forward the health‑department phone to the Blanco office, and post signage directing people where to pick up forms and make permit payments (payments must still be processed at the Treasurer’s Office). Commissioners also noted that the county currently pays roughly $200 per outsourced BB inspection while collecting $150–$200 in license fees for temporary vendors, and debated whether that outsourcing is sustainable while vacancies persist.

The court did not take a formal vote on a staffing change for the health inspector positions during the special call, but managers were directed to continue the hiring process and to implement temporary customer‑service steps (phone forwarding, signage, and form availability) to maintain service continuity.