01/12/2006: "Council to Hire Professionals to Find Administrator"

After several weeks of advertising on their own, the County Council has accepted the advice of Human Resources Director Becky Rusnak to retain a professional company to aid in the on-going search for a County Administrator. Rusnak told the Council that it may be worth the money if it will help the County locate the right person for the job. Rusnak suggested they use Waldron & Company, the same firm that the County has used in the past, explaining they are primarily in the business of working with counties, and therefore have excellent contacts.

Councilman Myhr inquired what the cost of the service would be, and Rusnak said that the contract for services would be a one-time cost of 25% of the base salary of the applicant, plus some additional administrative and office costs.

Under further questioning by Myhr as to what happens if "We, the County, find someone on our own; do we still have to pay the money to the company"? Rusnak said that if that should occur, the County would only be billed for the hours the company had spent up to that date. She also explained that Waldron guarantees their placement will stay on the job for at least 2 years, or they will do a new search for a replacement, without a charge to the County

Rusnak said the Council should expect the search to take up to 90 days to complete, but it could be less if the right person is found earlier

Councilman Ranker said it that "this appointment (the County Administrator) and the Hearing Examiner, are the two most important appointments this Council will make"

The Council agreed to authorize an appropriation of $35,000.00 to retain Waldron & Company