“Your stated commitment at the May 6 meeting is taken at its word,” Slater said. “The need for a permanent director is more apparent than the use of an interim director.”

Interim county manager Marche Pittman said after the May 6 meeting held at the ag center with the farmland preservation board and the soil and water district, he realized the importance of the position as well as a need now to help oversee the department  through the short-term.

Harmon said he thinks an interim would allow the county to do a thorough search for a permanent director and allow the county to take its time in doing so.

Commissioner Ray Gasperson asked how long Harmon thought it would take to find a permanent person.

Harmon said there are a lot of people coming out of college with agriculture degrees and he is looking at a couple of months to fill the position.

“I’d be in favor of the interim,” Harmon said.

He also said he would let the farmland preservation board make the decision on who is hired.

Commissioner Ted Owens said he thinks the county should go ahead and advertise for a permanent position to live up to the board’s commitment to replace Sprague and in the meantime have an interim.

The motion approved was to advertise for an interim at this time and direct Pittman to work with Harmon and others involved in agriculture.

The county held a workshop with the soil and water district and farmland preservation board on May 6 to discuss the future of agriculture in Polk County. The meeting drew more than 100 residents with 13 speakers who urged commissioners to replace Sprague. Sprague was the county’s first agricultural economic development director and has been credited with creating an agriculture momentum in Polk County that has become a model throughout the state.

Commissioners at that meeting said they would replace the position and have moved forward with continuing to budget for the department in the upcoming 2013-2014 budget. The county currently is proposing for the agriculture economic development department to be budgeted at $144,258 total, with $51,788 for the director’s salary.