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The Freeborn County Board of Commissioners began discussions Tuesday about preliminary plans to find both an interim and permanent county administrator. 

The discussions are happening after the board last month approved a separation agreement with Administrator Tom Jensen, who had worked in the position since September 2017. His last day will be June 15. 

During the Tuesday board meeting, the board talked to Jan Fransen, a retired county coordinator in Jackson County who now works as a contracted interim administrator or coordinator for counties. 

County Board Chairman Chris Shoff said Fransen received recommendations from the Association of Minnesota Counties and David Drown Associates.

Fransen said she retired as coordinator in Jackson County in 2015 after working almost 18 years and has since done interim work and consulting. She also has worked in some state positions.

She said if she was hired as an interim for Freeborn County, she would work as an independent contractor and would be paid hourly. 

She could attend meetings outside of regular work hours as requested by the board, continue with other board priorities and seek to maintain relationships with other community partners. 

“That’s my kind of philosophy as interim — you calm the waters if necessary and kind of keep the ship afloat til you get your next permanent county administrator on board,” Fransen said. 

Fifth District Commissioner Ted Herman asked Fransen about her experience with bonding in light of the large bonding project the county is in the middle of for deferred maintenance and energy efficiency projects at county-owned buildings.  

Fransen said she was familiar with bond issues and in Jackson County worked with the auditor-treasurer on these types of projects. 

Third District Commissioner John Forman asked if she could provide input on the process of finding a new permanent administrator or the evaluation of candidates. 

Fransen said she could help with whatever the board asked of her, whether that be helping define the replacement process, sitting in on interviews if requested or asking thoughtful questions. She said the ultimate decision needs to come from the board. 

She described herself as a leader who likes to listen and who is laid back. She said she is not a “my way or the highway” type of leader, but when she needs to do hard things she will do it. She said she would love the opportunity to see the county and could start a few days a week as early as later this week. 

There also brief conversation about the idea of having a coordinator instead of an administrator. 

Fransen said she favored the administrative role compared to the coordinator role. There are only 12 counties in the state that utilize the coordinator position, and she said statute better defines the administrator role.

Shoff said coordinators tend to be in smaller counties. 

The board voted to discuss the issue further at a special meeting at 8:30 a.m. June 16. 

In other action: 

• County Attorney David Walker said the petition that had circulated seeking to allow voters to decide whether the county should bond for almost $14 million in deferred maintenance and energy efficiency projects did not get enough votes to bring about a referendum in November. 

Walker said statute required signatures of 5% of eligible voters from the last election — or 844 voters. The petition was 161 votes short. 

He said he, the auditor-treasurer and the finance manager were present when the signatures were counted. 

• The board went into closed session for a performance evaluation of Human Resources Director Candace Pesch. A summary of that closed session is expected at the next open meeting.

Look to the Tribune for more from the meeting.