PORT ANGELES — Clallam County has promoted a pair of longtime staffers to replace retiring Health and Human Services Director Iva Burks, County Administrator Jim Jones announced Tuesday.
Burks, who is set to retire June 30, will be replaced by current Environmental Health Director Andy Brastad, a 30-year county employee.
Kim Yacklin, administrative coordinator for the department and a 28-year county employee, will fill a newly created position of assistant health and human services director, Jones said at the county commissioners’ meeting.
“It is budget-neutral, and that was an important component, no question,” Jones said.
“But it was just during the interview process it became so apparent to me that we had people here that could blend their talents so well together for a greater benefit.”
Brastad and Yacklin were interviewed last week by Jones, Commissioner Mark Ozias, Human Resources Director Rich Sill and Dr. Christopher Frank, county health officer.
Burks participated as a non-voting consultant.
Jones said the assistant director’s position was necessary because the director’s job had become “so time-consuming with so much community outreach.”
“One of my concerns was this job got too big for one person,” Jones said.
The county Health and Human Services Department provides environmental health services and programs for food safety, drinking water, on-site septic systems, hazardous waste, solid waste and shellfish, among others.
It also provides prevention services and assists those with developmental disabilities and drug and alcohol addictions.
The public health division handles communicable diseases, immunizations, birth and death records, and provides maternal and child health services.
Burks said she was pleased with the selection process and Jones’ suggested leadership structure.
Two good people
“I think you chose two very good people,” Burks said.
“It shows the quality of the employees of Clallam County.”
Brastad said he was “very honored” to be able to continue to serve county citizens in his new role.
“I look forward to continuing the very good relationships we have with our stakeholders and the partners that we have for providing the community services that health and human services does,” Brastad said.
Commissioner Mike Chapman said there is a clause in the county charter that calls for career advancement opportunities for longtime employees.
“This would be a fulfilment, really, of a clause in the charter that I think often gets overlooked,” Chapman said.
Ozias said the interview process “highlighted the incredible quality of people that work for the county.”
“We would be remiss in not acknowledging Jim [Jones] for his creative thinking and willingness to put the puzzle together in a different way,” Ozias added.
Burks will help train Brastad and Yacklin in the weeks leading up to her retirement.
“I don’t think anybody could replace Iva,” Brastad said.
Opportunity Fund grant
Meanwhile, commissioners Tuesday received no public testimony before approving a resolution to amend the 10-year capital facilities plan to reflect the board’s recent approval of an Opportunity Fund grant to reopen Sequim’s shuttered pool.
Commissioners in March approved a $731,705 grant to Clallam County Parks and Recreation District 1 for the purchase of a new air handler to reopen the former Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center as the Sequim YMCA, managed by the Olympic Peninsula YMCA.
The resolution and amended facilities plan spell out the transfer of the money to the junior taxing district.
The Opportunity Fund, a portion of state sales tax that supports public infrastructure, has $268,295 available for undesignated projects for the remainder of this year.
While a public hearing was not required for the expenditure, the board decided to amend the facilities plan with a requisite hearing “to be a little bit more transparent and let people know what we’re doing,” Jones said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
