McKean County has brought two more new employees on board – one
in human resources, the other a watershed specialist.

On Thursday, Commissioner Chairman John Egbert confirmed the
moves, noting Heidi Boser of Bradford has been hired as the
county’s new human resources representative, while the county’s
current PA CleanWays president and West Nile virus director Heather
McKean will fill the role as watershed specialist.

Officials said Boser – who began working for the county in late
June – will garner $30,000 in her new position, while McKean will
make around $32,000.

The county has been searching for a human resources
representative to work alongside Director of Legal Affairs and
Human Resources Michele Alfieri for a few months as part of the
establishment of a human resources department at the
courthouse.

“Heidi will be helping with organization,” Egbert said. “Michele
is trying to do both the legal work for the county and personnel
work. She’s managed to hold us together in human resources.”

Egbert said Boser is currently working with consultant J.L. Nick
Associates Inc. of Erie to develop an employee handbook and
“develop policy for various functions in the county.” She will also
sit down with new employees and explain what health insurance and
county benefits are available and to organize personnel files, in
addition to making sure the county is compliant with federal and
state laws.

J.L. Nick entered into an agreement earlier this year to help
with the creation of the department.

“There are things that need to be done in today’s world to abide
by the law, and the county has not done that,” Egbert said. “We are
trying to bring the human resources department into today’s
world.”

Egbert said the county will not be hiring anybody else for that
department.

The new department will be located in the former location of the
public defender’s office on the first floor of the courthouse.

“It’s beginning to come together,” Egbert said.

Meanwhile, Egbert said the county is in the process of bringing
McKean on board as a watershed specialist.

According to Egbert, in addition to her duties as watershed
specialist, McKean will also continue to serve as the county’s West
Nile virus director.

McKean was recommended to fill the position by the McKean County
Conservation District board, which conducted interviews and
ultimately placed a name before the commissioners for approval.
Egbert said the district board met Wednesday night and decided on
McKean.

“We have approved of that recommendation and expected them to do
that,” Egbert said. “We (commissioners) wholeheartedly approve of
Heather and so does the DEP (state Department of Environmental
Protection).”

Egbert said McKean’s role as president of the county’s CleanWays
chapter is a volunteer position, noting the county has funding
available through DEP for her salary as both watershed specialist
and West Nile virus director.

“DEP pays us about $29,000 for a watershed specialist, but we
also get $19,000 for having a West Nile program,” Egbert said. “The
money we receive for both programs well exceeds her cost. We’ll use
the leftover money for education or something along those
lines.”

Egbert said he expects McKean will begin her new role within a
couple of weeks.

The watershed specialist job was created with the county’s move
to put the district on a full-time status. Former Potter County
conservation district manager Sandra Thompson was hired by the
commissioners in May to fulfill that role in McKean County.

The duo comprise the county’s new Soil and Water Conservation
Department.

The county has created several new positions over the past few
years, including the high-profile hire of Ray McMahon as director
of the county’s economic development agency.

To that, Egbert said the county has gone from 377 employees to
176.

“We are now in a position to where we can control the employees
we have and provide adequate service with the staff available,”
Egbert said. “The change is mostly with Sena-Kean (which the county
sold to Complete HealthCare Resources; those employees are no
longer under the county’s auspices) and other positions that have
not been filled after people left them.”

Also, Egbert said the county established a salary range of
between $32,000 and $40,000 for the tax claim bureau director’s
position during a recent salary board meeting.