Board approves selected hiring‑freeze exceptions; several requests deferred for clarification

Wallowa County commissioners reviewed and acted on a set of hiring‑freeze exemption requests at their Jan. 6 meeting, approving a subset of requests, delaying others for additional detail and continuing several items for a week so department leaders can clarify funding.

The board approved exceptions for three Department of Community Health positions: a behavioral‑health coordinator; a human‑services manager; and an environmental‑health specialist (1 or 2). Commissioners approved an associate planner and a building‑inspector position in Community Development, and approved filling a corrections sergeant vacancy after discussion of operational needs. Commissioners agreed to delay the senior‑planner request for three to six months and to continue juvenile‑justice shift‑supervisor requests for a week to allow the department head to join the discussion.

HR staff explained the rules that applied to conditional offer letters issued before the hiring freeze and noted that some departments had active conditional offers already in process; the board agreed those offers would be grandfathered if they were completed prior to the hiring‑freeze declaration. Commissioners emphasized they expect departments to consider alternatives before creating new ongoing payroll obligations and to return with clarifying budget details when a position is fee‑funded or grant‑funded.

The board moved the personnel approvals to the meeting consent agenda with the payroll action forms and hiring‑freeze approvals recorded in the minutes.

Actions approved on Jan. 6 include pay‑grade reclassifications for prosecuting‑attorney legal assistant positions (see separate vote), and the board approved several of the departmental hiring exceptions listed above. Other items were continued for clarification and timing.