Last Saturday, Cook County Commissioners Debra White (Dist 1) and Garry Gamble (Dist 2) presided over a hastily called Town Hall Meeting at the Colvill Town Hall. According to the meeting flyer distributed by organizer Arvis Thompson, “We’d like to hear from you. Voice your opinions, ask your questions related to County Governance and specifically the hiring of a new County Administrator.”
About 30 people, most from the county’s east end, showed up on a sunny north shore Saturday to attend the Town Hall. If more than two commissioners were in attendance, that would constitute a quorum, and under Minnesota law, it would require proper notice, which wasn’t possible in this case since the Town Hall was called during the last week.
Following a special meeting on Monday, February 3rd, commissioners received packets of information, including a work personality index, resume, and the consultant’s video interview with each candidate. Commissioners were asked to review all the material on each of the ten applicants before the next meeting on February 11th and rank their preference for up to five for moving forward in the interviewing and hiring process.
James Joercke, the most recent county administrator, left his job last fall due to a family emergency. He was the third County Administrator since the commissioners in Cook County created the administrator form of government ten years ago.
Commissioner Gamble served on the board that set up this form of government and was heavily involved in setting expectations for the position. He served from 2013 to 2016 and was elected again to the board last November.
The previous board appointed Rowan Watkins as interim county administrator last year. Watkins, employed by the county since 2012, was appointed MIS (Management Information Systems) Director in 2021. Both commissioners spoke highly of his character and ability, but he has refused to be considered a permanent administrator.
DDA Human Resources, Inc., the consultant hired by the board, attracts, screens, and presents applicants for the administrator position. DDA received and reviewed 41 applications for the Administrator position. The consultant narrowed the applicants to 12 top candidates. As of the February 3rd meeting, two had withdrawn themselves from consideration, leaving ten.
The audience did much of the listening, asking questions about the hiring process and the need for an administrator.
An audience member asked the commissioners if they had found their “first choice” among the applicants. Both refused to answer directly, saying they would discuss the matter at the board meeting on Tuesday, February 11.
Commissioner White said that she’d been told they couldn’t do that when asked about pausing the administrator search if they don’t find an acceptable candidate.
While most comments/ questions concerned the need for and process of hiring a county administrator, one man asked about recalling an elected commissioner. Commissioner Gamble pointed out that elected officials could only be recalled for malfeasance, nonfeasance, or serious crime.
In Minnesota, if an elected official is convicted of a felony, they are automatically removed from office.
Following the meeting, lunch was served to those in attendance.
