Use light touch for volunteers

When people list Douglas County's assets, one thing that falls near the top is its volunteerism.

A holdover from the days when people made do or did without, the county's volunteer spirit has provided valuable workers for many of its biggest events.

The county is in the process of preparing a volunteer policy the draft of which includes pretty much everything someone would have to go through to become a county employee. Besides an application, the policy includes an authorization for a records search, a workers' compensation waiver, a release of liability and finally, if the volunteer gets past all that, an agreement. Volunteers would receive handouts on harassment prevention and bullying, sexual harassment, anti-violence, maintaining a drug and alcohol free workplace and finally a safety handbook.

All this paperwork would be placed in a permanent file maintained by the county.

Anyone who volunteers in the schools or to work with children is already undergoing many of these procedures. The county is seeking to extend it to other volunteers in order to reduce its liability should something go wrong.

We agree with Genoans who felt the process as presented is too onerous for someone who's making candy or manning an information booth for Candy Dance a couple of hours a year. We hope that streamlining the process will recognize what the volunteer actually does before worrying about what that person might have done.