Health board seeks officer

The Sanders County Board of Health is looking for a new health officer, the position formerly held by Nick Lawyer. The board met last week to discuss filling the position, which has been vacant for more than three months. One issue they are faced with is new legislation that changes the way the board operates as well as the responsibilities and functions of the health officer.

Since House Bill 121 passed in the last session, local health boards now operate in an advisory capacity, with the final decisions being made by the commissioners. As for the vacant position of health officer, the hire will be recommended by the board, however the final decision will fall to commissioners. The health officer will not have any voting power and will act as an advisor to the board. Only in situations of county-wide emergencies will the officer have any power. According to board member Bina Eggensperger, the lack of ability to vote or be elected should “help isolate that person from the politics.”

According to Commissioner Glen Magera, the board has been taking their time because they want to find someone who meets all of the qualifications. In the past, health officers that have held the position in the county have rarely fit all of these criteria and were approved by the state to fill the post. This time, they want to make sure there is no question of their qualifications.

This is all well and good, assuming they can find a person in time. Currently there are five members on the board, with two of them also being commissioners. Five is the minimum number of members, however, there needs to be an officer, and the county has already passed the three-month window requiring the position to be filled. The state can have the power to elect a health officer of their own recommendation, and according to Magera at the meeting, as they understand the new bill, that person does not necessarily need to be a county resident.

At the end of the meeting the board elected to adopt a new mission statement along with a posted list of public comment ground rules. The initiative was organized by Eggensperger after a board meeting with Dan Clark from the Montana State University Local Government center. He provided the board with some training on meeting organization back in September, after Lawyer's resignation. The ground rules were taken in similar form to Lincoln County’s and are hoped to allow for smoother meetings. “I think people are getting energized about certain issues and coming to meetings but don’t know the procedures to voice their concerns,” Eggensperger said.