By HOLLY GASKILL
A resolution may be on its way for the ongoing matter of the removal of Wells County’s health officer.
During their regular meeting Tuesday, County Attorney Ted Storer requested the County Commissioners approve a motion as the parties are “close to a resolution.” The motion, approved unanimously, allows Commissioner President Jeff Stringer to “develop a settlement package relative to those issues” with Storer and “approve and execute any documents (Stringer) deems necessary,” as Storer proposed. The commissioners also permitted Auditor Lisa McCormick to attest to Stringer signing any documents.
“The county and the Board of Health have been working diligently to attempt to resolve the issues in an amicable and fair manner, and we may be close to a resolution on that dispute, which will require the preparation and execution of some documents to effectuate whatever resolution we may have,” Storer said during the meeting.
A public hearing on the matter was held on Jan. 10, where several Health Board members expressed frustration at what they believed to be a lack of leadership from Health Officer Dr. Kay Johnson during the Wells County Health Department’s understaffing and employee turnover last year.
Johnson and her legal counsel claimed that these grievances were not communicated prior to the board’s unanimous Dec. 6 decision to initiate the process for her removal. She has held the position since 2010 and was elected to another four-year term in 2022.
The Health Board met in an executive session on Jan. 24 and eventually tabled the conversation in the special session immediately following.
Storer declined to further explain the nature of this possible agreement, not limited to whether Johnson would resign from or remain at the Health Department. He also declined to comment on when or if information regarding the agreement would be public, given the motion allowed Stringer to take executive action outside of a public meeting.
“We don’t know what that would be, so I can’t comment on what an agreement might or might not entail,” Storer told The News-Banner.
The next regular meeting of the Health Board is 6:30 a.m. Feb. 15., and the commissioner’s next meeting is 5 p.m. Feb. 20.
holly@news-banner.com
