WASHINGTON

Following a discussion about procedures to fill Health Board vacancies, the Washington County supervisors Tuesday approved board appointments for Jason Taylor, the county’s Environmental Health administrator, and for chiropractor Kodey Salow, effective in January. The terms that expire Dec. 31 are those of current board chair Cathy Buffington, who declined re-appointment, and Jack Seward, Jr., who said he would announce his decision at next week’s meeting. In any case, the Tuesday board action provides for both vacancies. Both term expirations had been posted.

At last week’s meeting, there was a review of previous policy in which the Health Board posted the vacancies, received and reviewed applications, then recommended their selection to the supervisors, who have the final approval. Tuesday, both candidates received 5-0 votes.

A major part of the session was a discussion about the need to improve and update the county’s Information Technology Operations, of which supervisor Marcus Fedler said has been a five-year plan for 20 years. He and the other supervisors discussed that department heads should be included in the planning, that an IT committee likely is needed, and that some regular funding for the operations should come from allocations and a consolidation for the service in all county department individual budgets.

The board previously had a long work session in October to discuss operations, and Tuesday Seward suggested holding a public meeting for the general operations but a closed session for security measures. The public session, he said, would provide detailed information for a system that the public will be paying for. The current telephone system has been previously described as akin to a string with two tin cans.

Following further discussion about having a committee, as well as department inputs, the board agreed to return to the issue within two weeks, including setting a possible public meeting.

In other business, the board:

•Approved The News as an official county publication for calendar year 2024.

•Approved Nora Reaves of the Washington County Attorney’s office as the Victim Witness Coordinator, effective Nov. 20, at $21.64 hourly.

•Approved a pay change for Stephen Swaffer, full-time EMT with the Washington County Ambulance, from $24.44 to $24.94 hourly, effective Nov. 1.

•Approved the Certification of the Cost Allocation Plan with Cost Advisory Services of Johnston, Iowa, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, for total reimbursement of $28,180 for indirect costs such as admission fees, liability and property insurance, un-billed building space, and accounting and legal services for the local DHHS office. Annual fee for the service is approximately $4,000. Projections for reimbursement for fiscal 2025 is $115,708 with a third coming from federal funds.

•After a recess, returned to conduct the canvass of the Nov. 7 city/school board elections.