Barnes County approves hiring of new NDSU ag extension agent

The Barnes County Commission approved a request from the North Dakota State University Extension Agency to provide half of the salary for a new extension agriculture and natural resource agent for Barnes County.

“Once I get you guys’ permission that we can go ahead and hire … I’ll start the request to recruit through NDSU,” NDSU District Director for the East District Lesley Lubenow said to the commission Tuesday morning. “Then I’ll get a job announcement out there and we’ll start the process.”

The commissioners voiced their general support of the extension agency and the value the agents hold to Barnes County; after a brief discussion over the possibility of a 60-40 split, the commission moved to approve the partnership for “recruitment, retention and hiring” for the new agent.

According to Lubenow, Barnes County has priority placement for the next new hire, and so filling this position is “at the top of my to-do list.”

After the vote to approve, there was brief discussion over the prospect of urging, recommending or even requesting that the new hire be a resident of Barnes County. Lubenow said there’s no such requirement in the position, and to ask it to be toes a legal line. The commissioners floated a few suggestions, but Lubenow seemed hesitant to put any such conditions during the hiring phase.

“That’s kind of skating the (legal) edge there, but you guys can have discussions after we get them hired,” Lubenow said.

The commission approved the 50-50 split unanimously.

Barnes County commission will meet next, February 1, 2022, at the Barnes County Courthouse in the commission chambers.