County administrator wins praise.

Byline: JOE MOSLEY The Register-Guard

County Administrator Bill Van Vactor got credit Wednesday for herding cats and dancing with a five-headed beast - and pulling off each feat admirably.

"There's a high level of respect for Bill Van Vactor throughout the (county) organization and also throughout the community," Commissioner Bobby Green said during Van Vactor's annual job evaluation.

"He has more experience than his board members, and we should all learn from him, too, because we don't know everything."

In the face-to-face portion of his review, commissioners praised his willingness to act on their suggestions, his efforts at taking the county's message to the public and his diligence in setting the course for future county operations.

"It's not easy being able to herd cats, sometimes in a thunderstorm," Commissioner Cindy Weeldreyer said. "That is a very difficult role you play."

Commissioner Peter Sorenson suggested that the administrator's most trying task may be answering to the five commissioners who serve as his supervisors.

"I know that you know this, Bill, but working for a Hydra is difficult - a five-headed, 10-eared, 10-handed board," he said.

As in the past, Sorenson was the most critical of the board members in evaluating Van Vactor on the written form that is completed by commissioners as well as county department heads and others.

Sorenson's ratings ranged from four to six, on a scale of one to 10, on the 18-question evaluation, while others consistently placed Van Vactor near the top end of the scale.

However, Sorenson has said he prefers to leave room for improvement on the evaluation forms and he assured his colleagues that he approves of the administrator's job performance.

"I also agree that he's doing a fine job," Sorenson said.

Van Vactor was the longtime county counsel when he was named acting administrator in December 1992, after Jim Johnson left the post to work for the city of Eugene.

Van Vactor at first declined to apply for the permanent job, but was persuaded to do so after an unsuccessful national search, and he was hired in February 1994. His annual salary is $112,176.