Washington Supervisors still have not chosen Ambulance Services Director, switch preferred candidate

One might think members of the Washington County Board of Supervisors feel like they are in the movie 'Groundhog Day” when it comes to choosing a director for the new Washington County Ambulance Service Department.

January 28 was the date when the Interviewing Committee for the position of Ambulance Services Director was supposed to make a recommendation to the supervisors on its top two choices from a field of 17 applicants.

But that didn't happen.

Instead, the board chose to do a second round of interviews involving more supervisors and make a recommendation to the board.

In a closed session, the supervisors ranked four top candidates in preference order and identified them by letters. The board voted to have Supervisors Chair Jack Seward Jr., County Auditor Dan Widmer and County Human Resources Director Amber Day offer the finalists, in preference order, the position and to report back to the board February 11 with a recommendation.

But that didn't happen either.

On February 7 the supervisors met in closed session and discussed four finalists. They decided to offer the job to 'Applicant D” subject to several qualifications including a background check.

At the February 11 supervisors meeting, Seward said since the closed session on February 7, he had heard from numerous individuals who know Applicant D who have convinced him that he cannot support that candidate for the position. He said he would prefer to offer the job to Applicant B, the next applicant on the preference list who he said ranked very close to Applicant D in the overall scoring.

Supervisor Abe Miller said he had also talked to people who know Applicant D and that nothing he had heard had swayed his vote to support that applicant.

Supervisor Bob Yoder said he had talked to eight people and agreed with Seward that the supervisors needed to offer the job to Applicant B.

Supervisor Richard Young said, 'My phone started lighting up Friday after our closed meeting and continued until about 9.” He said calls resumed over the weekend and people talked to him for 90 minutes when he was in the Hy-Vee shopping. 'I agree with Bob and Jack. I cannot support Applicant D,” he said.

Supervisor Stan Stoops said, 'I was good with (Applicant) D until I got a call over the weekend from someone who was significant.” He said he wanted to change his vote to support Applicant B.

The supervisors voted to have Seward, Widmer and Day offer the position to Applicant B and report back to the supervisors. Miller voted no.

Other Business

In other business, the supervisors:

*Voted to disband the Washington County Ambulance Advisory Committee and thanked

committee members for their service;

*Held a public hearing and then passed a resolution to amend the current county budget to carry

forward some unused funds from the last fiscal year;

*Set Tuesday, February 25 at 9 a.m. as the time for a public hearing on a general obligation bond

refinancing agreement that would save the county $35,000;

*Acknowledged the County Engineer's quarterly report and

*Acknowledged Delainey Parish as a new employee in the County Communications Department.