Editor’s note: Millie Lipscomb is a columnist and freelance writer for The Bourbon County Monitor. She answered questions for this story but had no role in its reporting or editing. Her work for The Monitor will be limited to lifestyle columns and occasional human-interest features, and she will not take reporting assignments connected to Bourbon County or its employees.
The Bourbon County Commission voted 3-2 Monday to hire Millie Lipscomb to handle human resources for the county for one year. Lipscomb was one of three applicants who responded to the county’s request for proposals for HR services.
Commissioners Joe Allen, Gregg Motley and David Beerbower voted in favor. Commissioners Samuel Tran and Mika Milburn-Kee voted against the motion.
Allen made the motion, and Motley seconded it. Allen said he based his choice on the three proposals, the price “and what we would get with a person on the ground.”
“HR was one that a lot of our employees brought up that they wanted to see a face, they wanted to see a person, they wanted to be able to identify, and until recently they hadn’t had that opportunity,” Allen said.
The contract amount and start date were not stated during the meeting.
Before the motion, Milburn-Kee told the commission she had found HR support available through KCAMP, the county’s insurance provider, as part of what the county already pays. Beerbower suggested reviewing that option and bringing it back the following week before the commission took up Allen’s motion.
Tran questioned whether a local HR provider could be impartial, raising the possibility of nepotism if the person running HR has relatives working for the county. Beerbower said that comment assumed the applicant had relatives and that there is no known relative of hers working for the county.
Tran said he had made no assumptions. He said the proposal described the applicant as knowing many people in the community, which he said “opens you up for biases.”
Tran also said the commission should not discuss the proposals in public. He said they should instead be evaluated through a “source selection” against the county’s performance work statement.
“In all fairness to the individual, this is highly irregular, because we don’t talk about RFPs in public,” Tran said.
Tran said one proposal was “immediately disqualified” over insurance, years of experience and credentialing, but he did not say which one. He also said “two commissioners” had wanted the applicant “from the very beginning.”
Beerbower called that claim “dead wrong.” Motley then stopped the exchange.
“Hold on, hold on, stop,” Motley said. “Let’s stop this discussion.”
Motley then spoke in support of the motion. He said many local employers, including Landmark National Bank, have HR directors who live in the county.
“This is about spending money in Bourbon County with a qualified person, a person that will be visible, a lot more visible than any outside company,” Motley said.
Motley said he likes the outside HR consultant the county now uses, but “he doesn’t have the trust of the employees.” Beerbower said the consultant has a great deal of experience but does not have the confidence of the county’s workforce.
“It’s just that he’s not here,” Beerbower said.
Beerbower said he would also be open to handling HR in-house through County Clerk Ann Clarkson with help from KCAMP. Of the options before the commission Monday, he said, hiring Lipscomb was “the best choice.”
During commission comments at the end of the meeting, Milburn-Kee congratulated “the bid winner for HR” and referred to Lipscomb’s work with The Monitor.
“I don’t want to question any ethics or anything before I see them, but I would hope that the newspaper don’t cross into the job with our HR,” Milburn-Kee said.
In his closing comments, Tran said his objections were “not personal in nature.” He said the decision “was already made by the three of you before you came to the table.”
“Can I prove it? No, but your action speaks louder than words,” Tran said.
Motley responded during his own comments.
“My commissioner’s comment is that everything Commissioner Tran just said is wrong,” Motley said.
Q&A with Millie Lipscomb
The Monitor sent Lipscomb three questions after the vote. Her written responses appear below, edited only for spelling.
Commissioner Tran questioned whether someone who lives and works in the community can be impartial in HR matters. How will you handle cases involving people you know?
I’ve been doing HR for a while and handle everything from benefits enrollments, disciplinary meetings, performance reviews, hirings and firings. I know each of these individuals also. An HR professional deals with that kind of situation on the daily.
Sometimes tough decisions have to be made, and I’ll make them. I will also be very fair and work to look into each situation and concern. Not all topics may turn out as the person hopes, but it will be the outcome that the research warrants.
I plan to be impartial in dealings with the Commission, the County department leaders and the county employees. The first important task is to listen. I will do that.
Commissioner Milburn-Kee said she hopes your HR role and your work with The Monitor won’t cross. How will you keep the two separate?
I’ve written one article for The Monitor concerning the County and that was about HR practices, particularly changing of hire dates, loss of seniority and tenure hours. None was an attack on the county. It was an accurate article.
Much of what I learned there is why I applied for the position of HR Services. I think my knowledge and hands on approach as well as accessibility should reveal a positive influence in a short time. I have never reported anything in my life that was to do more than inform the public with accurate information.
Regarding going forward, it was determined prior to the reading of the HR RFPs that I would not take on any reporting assignments with The Monitor or any other news source that would have any connection whatsoever with Bourbon County or our employees. My writing will be limited to lifestyle columns and an occasional human-interest feature. No investigative stories, heck I won’t have time.
Several commissioners said employees want a local, visible HR contact. What will that look like for county employees day to day?
I am here, in Bourbon County. I will get my feet on the ground and set times employees can come to me each week. I have not had time for even one conversation yet to know where or when, maybe it will rotate from week to week, like Sheriff’s office one week, Public Works barn the next, EMS the next, etc.
Sometimes people just need to vent and I can listen if that is what they need. I also want to provide the Commission with a report, at least monthly, of activity, needs, concerns...general activity. I also want to be available to carry messages from the Commission to the Employees and work on better relations.
I am setting up an email account and will be available every day by email or phone to the employees and the commission.
