Lewis County to Search for New Risk Manager After Impending Resignation

Feb. 01--Lewis County will begin its search for a new risk management administrator after Paulette Young officially tendered her resignation at a meeting on Tuesday.

Young, the county's current risk and safety administrator, said her last working day will be on Feb. 28. She plans to use the rest of her allotted leave time, so her last day as a Lewis County employee will technically be on April 2.

Discussions on replacing Young have been ongoing for more than a year after she told the Board of Lewis County Commissioners she planned to move on from her position. In 2016, she moved to Arizona, but the commissioners asked her to stay in her role despite relocating out of the state.

Young spent the majority of her time working from her office at home, but she made periodic trips back to Lewis County, paying for her own travel costs.

"I'll help you guys however I can," Young told the commissioners during a phone call. "It's not my intent to leave you in a bind."

Commissioners are considering a possible professional service agreement with Young for consulting services as a new person is brought on board. The details of the agreement would still need to be decided.

Archie Smith, the county's human resource director, said the job should be advertised by the end of the week.

Commissioners wanted to hire a new risk manager once they brought on a county manager this coming summer to oversee day-to-day operations. The commissioners announced last month they would begin recruiting for a county manager. That development came after a political action committee called One Lewis County, launched by the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce, began collecting signatures in pursuit of a home rule charter that would require the position in county government. A panel appointed by the commissioners also reccomended the creation of the position.

If hired before the risk manager, the county manager would have been able to look at ways to restructure the departments operating under the commissioners. Several counties have combined risk management and human resources, Young said.

With her impending departure, the commissioners decided it would make sense to first hire a risk administrator.

"I think in a perfect scenario you would hire a county manager and then let that person do that, but we just don't have time," Commissioner Gary Stamper said. "We need to be a lot more proactive, in my opinion."

Commissioner Bobby Jackson agreed. Commissioner Edna Fund said she understood the encroaching timeline, but would still prefer to see a county manager hired first.

"It's not my first choice, it's pretty obvious, but however, I know what you two are thinking," she said. "I understand the need to have someone in here. I also think people who might apply for this knowing there is going to be a different supervisor other than us, that may have them think a little bit."

Young said in the meantime Tawni Shepherd, the safety officer for the county, could take on the additional work, but that wouldn't be a permanent solution.

"I just want to make it perfectly clear that Tawni can get you by, but that's all she is able to do. It's not a knock against Tawni. It's just too much if you are having to do my job, plus her job," Young said.

Cowlitz County is also currently recruiting for a risk manager position, so the timing is less than ideal, commissioners said. The position in Lewis County will likely offer a higher salary range.

Young has been with the county for over 15 years. The institutional knowledge she has related to the county's risk pool, insurance, tort claims and lawsuits is something that will be hard to replace, commissioners said, adding that Young is "irreplaceable."

The department oversees the county's insurance policies and provides consultation to various departments on ways to minimize risk relating to injuries, property, damage and liability. It also oversees public disclosure requests.

Smith said the job would be advertised in a number of places. Hiring someone to the position will likely take between two and three months, or maybe even longer.

Young makes more than $80,000 a year.

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