County manager announces admin move to courthouse; board directs staff to proceed on real‑estate item after executive session

Crook County’s county manager told commissioners at a July work session that the county will move the entire administrative team to the third floor of the courthouse by the end of the month to consolidate operations and improve service delivery.

The manager said the move will free the current Admin Building offices, allowing Human Resources to relocate there and to create a more accessible public‑facing environment for HR services. “This will allow for some improved departmental efficiencies that we're not back and forth across the street by so much, and hopefully lead to some enhanced service delivery across the organization,” the manager said.

Commissioners asked whether regular board meetings and work sessions would change locations; the manager said meetings will continue in their current locations and that staff will lock the door between HR and meeting spaces during work sessions to maintain access.

Later in the meeting the board entered executive session under ORS 192.660(2)(e) to conduct deliberations with persons designated to negotiate real property transactions and ORS 192.660(2)(i) to review and evaluate employment‑related performance of a public officer or employee. Representatives of the news media and designated staff were allowed to attend; the audience was asked to leave. No decisions were to be made in executive session, per the posted announcement.

At the return to open session, a commissioner moved and a second was offered to “direct staff to proceed as discussed” on the real‑estate matter addressed in executive session; the board voted in favor by voice and the motion carried. The record in open session states that staff were directed to proceed; no further details about the property negotiation or personnel evaluation were disclosed in open session.

Commissioners then adjourned the meeting.