Commissioners reappoint 2 Health Board members
This Dec. 1, 2020, file photo shows the building that houses the Flathead City-County Health Department at 1035 1st Ave. W. in Kalispell. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
The Flathead County commissioners on Thursday decided to retain Board of Health members Dr. J. Peter Heyboer II and Ronalee Skees, reappointing them for another three-year term.
The two board members were selected from a slate of seven applicants, which also included current Health Board members Dr. Jessica Malberg and William Burg, along with Leonard Falk, Jolene Regier and Dave Swaim.
While there are four board members whose terms expire Dec. 31, the county commissioners only appointed two because a revised interlocal agreement between the county and cities of Kalispell, Whitefish and Columbia Falls has changed how board members are appointed.
The 1976 interlocal agreement, which was revised in 2004, was again revised in October to allow Whitefish and Columbia Falls to appoint a member to the nine-member board to represent their respective cities. Previously, only Kalispell had representation on the board, via an appointed sitting council member.
The new board structure allows the commissioners to continue to have a seat on the board — currently that is Commissioner Pam Holmquist.
The three incorporated cities each appoint a board member, and the remaining five members are appointed by the commissioners.
The Kalispell City Council on Dec. 6 appointed former council member Rod Kuntz to the Health Board.
The Columbia Falls City Council chose Mayor Don Barnhart for its representative on the board during the council’s Dec. 6 meeting.
The Whitefish City Council has yet to take action on its appointee. City Manager Dana Smith said the Whitefish council wasn’t able to get through its entire Dec. 6 agenda, so she’ll be seeking direction from the council at its Dec. 20 meeting.
“It has not been determined as to whether the city’s position on the Board of Health will be filled by a City Councilor or a volunteer appointed by the City Council,” Smith said in an email to the Inter Lake. “If we are directed to advertise for the volunteer board position, we hope to hold interviews on Jan 3.”
Sixteen people spoke during the public comment portion of the county commissioners’ meeting on Thursday, each voicing support for his or her Board of Health candidates.
There was no discussion among the commissioners regarding the seven candidates. Skees was reappointed with a unanimous vote, while Heyboer was reappointed 2-1, with Commissioner Randy Brodehl voting in opposition.
The Board of Health has been in the limelight — and public scrutiny — since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
IN HIS letter to the commissioners asking for reappointment, Dr. Heyboer noted that “even though the downstream effects of the Covid pandemic will persist for some time, I look forward to facing other upcoming challenges in public health.”
One of those challenges, he said, is selecting a new health officer “who will understand how to work effectively with our community.”
Heyboer also said he’s excited about the new biosolids project that has been proposed.
“Finally, the scourge of drug abuse and the tragedy of suicides continue to plague our community,” Heyboer wrote to the commissioners. “We have struggled with how to address these issues. It will take online effort and bold vision to address these going forward.”
Skees noted in her letter for board reappointment that Covid-19 has put a focus on the Health Board “like no other time before,” and said “it has been an incredible opportunity to navigate the needs of the community while respecting the individual members of the community.”
Skees also stated that “the aspects of public health do not rise and fall on Covid-19 response alone.
“I would like to see through to the outcome and solution of the biosolid waste, stay on top of the needle exchange program, WIC (Women, Infants and Children) and the Home Visiting program providing valuable resources and life still tools to at-risk families, and keeping our neighbors safe and healthy with the environmental health programs.”
News editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 406-758-4421 or lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.