By HOLLY GASKILL
The Wells County Health Department has been publicly criticized in recent months for what Commissioner President Mike Vanover called “corrupt and reprehensible” behavior. However, the discussion regarding this behavior has remained largely ambiguous.
The department has been operating with half of its full-time staff since June when two employees — the administrator and septic environmental health specialist — resigned. Marlene Hoag, who had retired as administrator and was brought back on an interim basis, stated neither employee provided an explicit reason for leaving the department.
Even so, the Health Department board and Commissioner Jeff Stringer expressed a strong desire for Hoag to identify key issues within the department, in addition to assisting in responsibilities the department had fallen behind on. Specific issues remained unnamed.
Ryan Bennett, the former septic environmental health specialist, told The News-Banner his resignation followed a disagreement with food environmental health specialist Daniel Miller and previous administrator Tricia Ross. While Bennett stated no rules had been violated in the matter, he said he no longer wanted to be part of the department.
Shortly after Bennett left in June, Ross abruptly resigned. Hoag stated that, before Ross’s resignation, there had been some apparent difficulty in Ross taking on the role. At the time, the department had fallen behind on many of its regular responsibilities.
One day prior to her resignation, Wells County Council member Brandon Harnish spoke with Ross about Bennett’s resignation and community complaints about septic issues.
“As far as I’m concerned, an elected official had an interview with an employee of the Health Department about the potential wrongdoing of a subordinate,” Harnish said. “The next day, that employee quit.”
In the following weeks, Vanover and Harnish took to Facebook to denounce the department’s actions.
In a July 22 Facebook post, Vanover wrote: “I have been dismayed by recent events at the Wells County Health Department. It has become apparent to me that certain individuals in that office have acted in a corrupt and reprehensible manner. In my opinion, their actions have been those of bullies, and I cannot stand by and allow them to financially terrorize our citizens and business owners.”
Harnish followed, adding that he would vote against any budget for a Health Department that “targets and harasses” Wells County residents. He also called for those responsible to be terminated.
Stringer then confirmed this frustration originated with Miller, who the commissioners believed had discussed Yergy’s State Road BBQ, which has locations in Wells and Jay counties, with the Jay County Health Department.
Miller began working at the Wells County Health Department in July 2022. Before then, he had retired from the Indiana State Department of Health after 33 years. Miller stated that, with the ISDH, he had worked with Wells County as a wholesale inspector.
Miller and Jay County Health Department Administrator Steve Butz verified the two departments had a brief conversation about some of the ambiguities in the Indiana Code about outdoor food operations. Butz stated he met with Miller on Jan. 5. He also noted that local departments often communicate like this.
Their conversation followed Miller’s inspection of Yergy’s last December, where Miller advised the restaurant may need to apply for a variance for their outdoor meat smoker. When the business discussed moving the smoker inside earlier this year, Bennett visited Yergy’s in place of Miller, who was on a leave of absence. Bennett ultimately disagreed with Miller’s advisement.
Yergy’s is owned by Matt Yergler, who the commissioners also appointed to the Wells County Public Library Board of Trustees. Yergler declined to comment about the specifics of the inspection but stated he “didn’t want to be targeted.”
Miller’s Dec. 16 report reads: “Note: If outdoor cooking takes place more than occasionally or for more than a few days at a time, it’s possible there would be a violation of Section 414 of 410 IAC 7-24. It is requested the business apply for a variance from the Indiana Dept. of Health, Food Division.”
The cited code denotes that a restaurant should have walls or roofs to protect from weather, insects, rodents or animals. It also stated it is a “noncritical item.” Miller told The News-Banner that a variance would clearly outline agreed-upon procedures to ensure food safety in all circumstances outdoors.
In the April 13 report, Bennett wrote a variance was unnecessary because neither advisement from Indiana Code nor the business model had changed since the business was approved in 2015. Bennett told The News-Banner he recognized the decision involved each inspector’s judgment and no rules were broken.
“My big word is discretion,” Bennett said. “The speed limit is 55 miles an hour, right? Have you ever been pulled over at 62 and gotten a warning? Or just a ‘Slow down’? You don’t have to get a violation. It’s discretion.”
However, Bennett also said the issue became a point of contention between him and Miller, who Bennett said threatened to shut Yergy’s down. Bennett continued to say that it seemed Miller held prejudice against Yergy’s. “It feels like he had a chip on his shoulder,” Bennett said.
Miller denied there was any discussion about shutting down the establishment. “As far as the tool of enforcement, one of the options would have been to close them … I have no problems with (Yergy’s) at all,” he said. “I didn’t even know they existed before I inspected them.”
Miller also stated no county officials have contacted him about the incident.
As a department of four full-time staff, the two resignations ultimately had a massive impact on the Health Department’s operations. The department was already several months behind on issuing birth and death certificates when Hoag re-entered the department as interim on July 5, but Hoag reported she’s spent a significant amount of her time assisting with septic-related questions.
Hoag said she did not think any rules were broken. She declined to answer if she had received pressure to terminate Miller’s position since she stepped in as interim administrator.
Meanwhile, the department and board continue to face public criticism.
At the commissioners’ meeting on Aug. 7, Vanover called for replacing a health board member with a commissioner. Hoag stated she had a phone call with Stringer 20 minutes before the public meeting, and they had not discussed this.
Hoag said she was also unaware the commissioners would come before the Wells County Council on Aug. 8 and asked for the consideration of a new position that would handle administrative and septic responsibilities. She recalled Stringer had talked about a new position as a possible solution, and she had communicated that the administrative position was already a demanding position, with both registrar and administrative duties.
At the County Council meeting, Bennett was also discussed as a favorable hire for this role. However, Bennett told The News-Banner he didn’t think the position would work and stated he was “not returning to the Health Department.” He declined to answer if he would return if Miller no longer worked at the department.
On Aug. 10, Harnish asked if Hoag approved the idea of the new position during hearings for the Wells County 2024 budget requests. Hoag replied that she was hired to come back and assess the department and some ideas had been discussed. She then reiterated how the administrative position, which she had exclusively occupied for 25 years, was created.
“It was recognized that an administrator, someone in the office all the time, needs to be there,” Hoag said.
In discussing the positions with the health board on Aug. 17, Hoag said she did not think the combination would work. “It’s probably going to pigeon-hole one person into two jobs,” agreed health board member Steve Bales. “And that’s not going to happen.”
The health board — as well as Stringer and Commissioner Blake Gerber, who were both present — ultimately permitted Hoag to post two full-time jobs for a new administrator and septic environmental specialist. Stringer also encouraged Hoag to advertise two additional support positions for the administrator and public health nurse, ensuring that the commissioners would advocate for Health Department funding.
Stringer then emphasized a need to change public perception of the Health Department for both recruiting employees and engaging with the community.
“We’ve got to have support from all of the commissioners,” Bales said. “The stuff that’s come out has not been good.”
“I could say the same thing back to you guys,” Stringer replied. “We need the support from the board. We need the same support from Dr. (Kay) Johnson.” He then referenced the issues with leadership, noting communication issues with Health Officer Dr. Kay Johnson, who attended the meeting remotely.
Stringer continued, “And then we’ve got to get you guys to where you understand what the board can and can’t do … I want to make sure that we give you all the tools to be successful. But I’m with you, Steve, we’re working on it.”
The next health board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. on Sept. 7 in the meeting room of the Wells County Annex.
holly@news-banner.com
