A PIO for Kootenai County
I applaud the suggestion in the Feb. 25, 2015, Coeur d'Alene Press editorial for a PIO (Public Information Officer) for Kootenai County. I was the grant writer for Kootenai County before I retired in 2012. I originally went to work for the county as the front desk clerk in the commissioners' office during tax time. They asked me to stay after that original time. I was trained as a PIO for the Office of Emergency Management, in case of a disaster in Kootenai County (P.S. - our Emergency Management Office does an excellent job to be prepared incase of a disaster event).
While I was working at the county I saw the grants were coming from all directions and sometimes follow-ups were not made. The commissioners at that time thought it was time to put someone in charge of grants as well as write grants. They advertised the job, had a large group of applicants, and chose 10 to interview. I was among them and got the job. I had at that time 40 years of grant writing experience.
The department of one to write and supervise grants was created. There were and are many very good grant writers in the various departments that continued. I would spend two hours a day looking for grants, advise departments what was available or in some cases they had a grant stream offered to them. We would determine who would write it, the department or if I would. All would process through my department so the system could verify the process through the public process, those finally responsible, the commissioners. It worked well.
With the opportunity to be grant involved with the bus/transit system, the commissioners hired a grant writer well versed in the transportation of buses, et. al. That department wrote the grants and supervised the transit system (one person). It took a person to be totally in charge of the grant and the system. This, in my mind, was done professionally by the person they hired to do just this one grant process. I only aided her when requested to be of assistance. It is a great program for the citizens of Kootenai County. She was released from this job without cause as allowed under current county regulations.
This bit of personal history regarding the need of a Public Information Officer is pertinent to point out how the department of grants grew from one person to four at this time, and the present problem of answering "requests for public information" for many departments. This person would be quicker, more thorough and the record keeping of the county would be well documented and knowledgeable in the laws regarding assisting the public to know the ins and outs of their government. The employees of Kootenai County are a busy, efficient group, departments are busy, and employees are not the "happy bunch" they were ... since the many people who have been fired "without cause." Perhaps the county government should return to the time the HR department suggested and all departments agreed to the FISH program ... when each department determined a fun event during the day (didn't interfere with day to day duties except all workers were enjoying their jobs ... and felt like smiling). The customer benefited ... the taxpayer benefited.
No, I won't be applying for the job ... I am 87 and though I came to work for the county when I was almost 70 and enjoyed taking a new job at that age ... I think my time has passed.
Some persons do not want to rely on grants from the federal government. It is the established way to return to taxpayers monies from the federal government. In the 1960s all cities, counties and states received "block grants" based on population. Those funds were to be justified for water, sewer system, bridge repairs, needed equipment and buildings. The system was cumbersome ... so the federal government determined the grant system would serve the citizens more efficiently.
Colleen Allison is a Kootenai County resident.