Troubled HR director leaving El Dorado County

By Kathryn Reed

Two key positions in El Dorado County are going to be vacant in October.

Pamela Knorr, human resources director, and Steve Pedretti, director of Development Services, are leaving. It’s up to the Board of Supervisors to hire for these positions. Even so, it will be staff in the chief administrative office that handles the bulk of the recruiting.

Pamela Knorr

Knorr, who has been controversial almost since she started with this county, is going to Butte County. In 2015, the grand jury came out with a scathing report about Knorr’s department. Her last day is Oct. 11.

Pedretti has been hired by Placer County. His last day is Oct. 31.

For the Butte job, Knorr used the last name of Heselton. While she has been married for a few years, this is not a name she has used in recent jobs or in El Dorado County. The three-year Butte contract comes with a salary of $158,512, and a guaranteed 2 percent increase effective Feb. 11.

Knorr was recently the interim chief administrative officer for El Dorado County. She is the one who brought in Larry Combs as the next interim. He helped to further run the county into an economic quagmire by failing to address issues regarding the budget. Combs has since been replaced by Don Ashton.

The Board of Supervisors, though, also let the Knorr-Combs combo operate despite numerous articles pointing out their deficiencies.

Knorr is still involved in a lawsuit from her days as CAO of Alpine County. A settlement could not be reached this summer. The trial is expected to start at the end of the year.

Robert Levy, former undersheriff of Alpine County, in a 19-page lawsuit alleges Knorr along with three supervisors at the time and a private citizen violated his civil rights, conspired to do so, discriminated against him based on age, failed to prevent discrimination and retaliation, violated the Public Safety Officers’ Procedural Bill of Rights Act, and defamed him.