Commissioners approve third‑party 360 review of department heads

Commissioners voted to accept a proposal (presented as "Blue Lion/BlueLine" in the meeting) to conduct a third‑party 360‑style performance review of county department heads. The review would solicit anonymous input from employees, peers and other stakeholders to provide a fuller picture of management performance than a single supervisor evaluation.

Proponents argued that an external, anonymous tool reduces intimidation and yields more honest feedback than suggestion boxes or internal processes. Commissioners discussed scope (department heads only), cost (an example figure discussed in meeting was about $5,000) and frequency; most agreed to try a single review cycle first and reassess whether to repeat it.

A motion to accept the Blue Lion/BlueLine proposal for department head reviews was moved and seconded and carried; staff were directed to finalize the contract and return with implementation details and assurances about anonymity and data handling.

Next steps: contracting staff will confirm the selected consultant's scope, timeline and anonymity safeguards and bring a finalized statement of work to the board for signature.