The Macon County Consolidated Human Services Agency (CHSA) Board held its first meeting Jan. 27, which was also the first meeting for new CHSA Director Kim Dills.
The governing board for the newly established agency manages public health and animal services for the county after a November decision from the county designed to bring Health Department employees under the county’s human resources policy. Dills was sworn in as the director on Jan. 12
Similar to the former Board of Public Health, the CHSA board has members representing different services provided by the agency. While the health board included positions representing engineering, dentistry, nursing, physicians, veterinarians, pharmacists and psychiatrists alongside the county commissioners and the general public, the CHSA Board requires at least four more members representing psychologists, social workers and optometrists. Those last three positions make up three of the four open seats on the CHSA board, the other to be filled by a member of the general public.
County Commissioner John Shearl, who had been filling a spot on the board as a member of the general public, resigned from his seat once he was assured the Board of Commissioners would be able to fill the seat with another member of the general public by the time the next CHSA board meeting takes place in February.
“[With] the consolidation and expansion of membership of this board and the new CHSA director in place I believe the department is in a much better place than it was several months ago,” Shearl said. “Moving forward I will continue to stay abreast of issues and share my concerns and thoughts with you, Ms. Dills, Mr. [Warren] Cabe and the Board of Commissioners. It’s been a rocky road but it’s been a pleasure serving with all y’all and I think this agency is on a path for great accomplishments serving the community.”
The consolidated board met at 5 p.m. for a special called meeting ahead of its regular meeting at 6:15 p.m. to swear in the new members of the CHSA board and to enter into a closed session under General Statute 143-318.11 (a)(3) and (a)(6), which pertain to meetings in which boards wish to discuss (a3) confidential information with an attorney and retain attorney-client privilege and (a6) confidential personnel matters. County Attorney Eric Ridenour, County Manager Warren Cabe and County Human Resources Director (and former interim health director) Tammy Keezer were invited to join the closed session. The session concluded at approximately 6:30 p.m.
Staff changes
After coming back into open session, Keezer reported on promotions and new staff, including Ian Baker and Tanner Stamey as new environmental health specialists and Caden Wood being promoted from environmental health specialist to the county’s first environmental health specialist associate.
Marcie Gibson is a new medical office assistant; Sheila Corbin and Aaron Coin were hired as clerical workers (Corbin as a contract employee); Lexi Coin transferred from clerical to Animal Services.
Autumn Johnson was transferred from finance to the environmental health front desk.
Health Educator and Public Information Officer Jennifer Germain resigned.
Policy, budget and leadership
The CHSA board approved the new board policies and procedures, which remain identical to those that governed the previous health board. The board also approved a tobacco-free work policy.
Finance Director Melissa Setzer outlined the process of developing an annual budget for the board’s new members, a process she said begins in December when she passes out documentation to staff members to collect information on what expenses will be. Setzer said there are 26 budgets in the department, 25 for public health programs and one for Animal Services.
“I start meeting with every one of the programs and all the individuals that prepare those budgets. We walk through the budgets, discuss different options, discuss their needs, try to make cuts where we can make sure that we can have a successful year for the next fiscal year. We try to have our budgets done by the end of February,” she said.
In March the county starts meeting with departments to go over department budgets, at which point they will be workshopped with county commissioners and then approved.
Board officers
The board completed the meeting by selecting its new chair and vice chair. On the health board, Garrett Higdon served as chair and Matt Corbin served as vice chair, but the positions were reopened after consolidation.
Nominating Higdon, Corbin said, “As I Iook around this room I see a lot of people who would be very qualified to serve in either one of these positions. And I think that opportunity should be presented to people in this room throughout the course of your tenure here. I would love to see this be a rotating spot for those that are qualified … I think about Garret being thrust into this position and the tumultuous road that the Health Department’s been on recently, and he spent I don’t know how much time and effort into this position and advocating on our behalf and communicating on our behalf, and I saw all that. I would love to see him get the opportunity to serve in this position.”
Consolidated board members unanimously voted Garret Higdon in as the chair and Matt Corbin in as the vice chair.
The next Consolidated Human Services Agency board meeting will be Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 6:15 p.m. in the board room of the Human Services Building on Lakeside Drive.