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Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes - Final February 6, 2024 County Administrator John Titkanich reported receiving a quote for the recruitment process for just over $24,000. Commissioner Loar proposed consulting with the County Attorney's office to help identify the legal areas where the County has been subcontracting litigation in recent years. The aim would be to prioritize the top three or four areas and obtain the necessary documents. This would assist the Board in making an informed decision and possibly reduce the need to subcontract attorney fees. Commissioner Earman recommended hiring a professional recruiter with knowledge of Florida and Government law to vet candidates for the attorney position. The HR staff does not have expertise in finding legal professionals. The compiled information could be passed on to those interested in the role, and local attorneys could apply through the county or the recruiter. HR staff should not vet candidates, he stated. Commissioner Moss agreed with Commissioner Earman and favored hiring a professional recruiter. Commissioner Loar and County Attorney Bill DeBraal discussed what process the attorney's office had used to recruit and hire the recently hired Assistant County Attorney Keith Jackman. Attorney DeBraal stated that the same method as being discussed along with advertisements with the Florida Bar Association, and three (3) very qualified candidates were received. Vice Chairman Flescher suggested the Board hire from the three foundations with suitable candidates already available, instead of spending $24,000 to vet external candidates. He stated there were qualified individuals within the organization, including the Florida Bar and fraternal organizations. He suggested an assessment organization may be a better choice than a recruitment organization. Deputy County Attorney Susan Prado thanked Chairman Adams for bringing the matter forward. However, she expressed her concern over the significant turnover in the office following the County Attorney's departure in a few months. She appreciated the initiative taken by the Chairman and emphasized the significance of the position being discussed. Ms. Prado briefly touched on the subject of outsourcing items in their office. She stated that the bigger litigious items were outsourced, and they handle the rest in-house. Ms. Prado urged everyone to consider the staffs workload when looking at outsourced items. As the person who will be left after Mr. DeBraal retires, Ms. Prado wanted to inform the Board that litigation may take away time from other areas. She suggested the new County Attorney should look into the matter and possibly consider hiring another Indian River County Florida Page 16