On the same day President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the spread of the coronavirus, the Nez Perce County commissioners placed their emergency manager on paid administrative leave without explanation.

Nez Perce County Prosecutor Justin Coleman confirmed the suspension of Emergency Management Director Grant DiCianni on Friday evening, but couldn’t comment further because of personnel privacy laws. Calls by the Lewiston Tribune to commission Chairman Don Beck and commissioners Douglas Havens and Douglas Zenner were not returned.

DiCianni also did not respond to a message seeking comment. He had been working on the county’s response to the global pandemic this week, issuing a media release Wednesday afternoon about county and city of Lewiston efforts to monitor the disease. The city pays part of DiCianni’s salary, although he works directly for the county commission.

He came to the county in 2018 after working for the nonprofit organization Rescue & Relief International, which focuses on preparedness education and training, rapid responses to disasters, and emergency management.

At the time, the commissioners hailed his wealth of experience. Coleman said they took no official vote Friday to place DiCianni on paid administrative leave, but did deliver their decision in person.

The latest episode adds to the commission’s rocky recent history with its emergency management directors. The previous director, Bryant Wolfe, quit in 2017 when the commission decided he was spending too much money to send himself to various training sessions.

In response, the commissioners decided to increase the advertised salary for the position in hopes of attracting a more-qualified candidate. They brought DiCianni on board at an annual salary of $75,000, plus benefits.

Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2266.