Applicant selected to head PacCom bows out

Published 6:14 am Tuesday, June 25, 2024

SOUTH BEND — It’s been a month since the Pacific County 911 Dispatch Center (PacCom) Administrative Board and Pacific County Commission authorized the hiring of David Houseberg as the agency’s next director — and he has now turned down the position.

The county was officially notified on Monday, June 24.

A contract was sent over to Houseberg following a May 28 commissioners meeting that finalized his hiring and hashed out a special employment agreement. Houseberg is a Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office corporal and was expected to take a pay cut to come to Pacific County.

According to comments made by PacCom Board Member Rex Hutchins during a PacCom meeting on Friday, June 14, part of the deal bringing Houseberg here was his wife picking up a principal position in Montesano.

That part fell through when she ended up being the runner-up for the position.

PacCom Director Ed Heffernan is scheduled to retire on June 30 after nearly three decades of working for the county in corrections and later PacCom.

“What’s the fallback plan, July 1? That’s gonna come pretty quick,” Pacific County Fire District No. 1 Chief Jacob Brundage asked during the June 14 meeting. “What’s the fallback plan? Has that been determined?”

“We would be going back to the hiring committee if we got to that point and then making a recommendation to the admin board,” Pacific County General Administration Chief Administrative Officer Paul Plakinger said.

According to comments made by Plakinger, the hiring committee planned to go back to applicants who have already applied to select a new director.

The committee is likely to look at internal applicants with the highest levels of interest because Heffernan is set to retire next week.