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Steamboat Springs — The countywide hiring freeze was thawed slightly this week as Routt County commissioners voted unanimously to allow a hiring freeze exemption for the communications department. The commissioners said they also would be willing to hear future freeze exemption requests that relate to public safety.

Communications Director J.P. Harris told the commissioners that his department was likely to lose people in the coming months and that he needed to hire someone soon to keep things running smoothly.

The commissioners approved the request. Routt County Sheriff Gary Wall said he plans to request more exemptions to cover unfilled positions for jail and patrol deputies.

"We're probably going to be four down in detention," he said. "And if somebody leaves patrol, we'll ask for an exemption."

One of the four detention deputy positions can be filled because it was open before the freeze took effect in February. The job descriptions for two other positions - civilians who would operate the control tower - also was approved by the commissioners and could be filled by a freeze exemption.

The commissioners rejected the only previous freeze exemption request, made by Routt County Assessor Mike Kerrigan soon after the hiring freeze took effect.

Kerrigan requested the commissioners allow him to replace an outgoing deputy assessor, but the commissioners at the time said they were not convinced that his office would be unable to complete its statutory duty without the position filled.

Sgt. Mike Baumann, who oversees the jail, said he plans to go forward with requests to fill the jail positions soon in order to have time for training. Once a deputy is hired, he or she must go through criminal, psychological and polygraph tests, along with three months of training.

"Last year, we were asking for additional deputies," Baumann said. "Now, I'm in front of them saying I cannot operate and schedule this facility with less than I had before."

Baumann said hiring civilians to run the control tower will help with future deputy vacancies because the civilians will be given a chance to move into deputy roles and will act as a readily available hiring pool.

- To reach Zach Fridell, call 871-4208, or e-mail zfridell@steamboatpilot.com