By Zach Jensen,
The Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the appointment of new Decorah City Councilman Christopher Miculinich to the County Board of Health Dec. 11. The only problem was that Decorah Community School District Superintendent Tim Cronin, whose seat was open, reportedly didn’t know his term was over, and he had no intention of vacating it.
Miculinich brought the issue to the Supervisors’ attention during its regular meeting Dec. 18 and expressed his frustration, because, as he explained, he followed the law and “due process” to be appointed.
During the discussion, Supervisor Vice Chairman Mark Vick, who serves on the Board of Health, said it was all a misunderstanding. Vick informed the board that Cronin had every intention to continue serving the board, but he didn’t realize his term was up. Meanwhile, Miculinich was the only person who turned in an application to be appointed to the Board of Health. So, when Cronin’s term expired, Miculinich was a shoe-in for the seat.
County Auditor Ben Steines took responsibility for the error – saying that before he shared the opening with the Supervisors, he should have sent it to the Board of Health. However, because Miculinich was the only board applicant to have submitted the required paperwork, he’d be the only potential appointee to be considered after the papers’ due date.
“Nobody’s perfect,” Vick said. “It’s just one of those things that happened, and we have to correct it.”
“… I understand that, since, you know, this has all happened, that Mr. Cronin has submitted an application, but from my understanding, that was after the public deadline that was published in the paper,” Miculinich said. “So, there’s a public deadline that I abide by, and Mr. Cronin has submitted his application after that deadline. And, from my previous conversation with you this morning, I said I’m not opposed, because I feel like he should be on. I stated that publicly, but I also … it’s just frustrating, because I followed due process.”
Miculinich added that Supervisor Vick told him and several other people at the Board of Health meeting that he would abstain from voting on the issue in the board. However, as Vick explained during the meeting, that was before Vick learned from Steines that Vick would not be legally required to abstain voting on the issue, because he couldn’t personally benefit from the outcome of such a vote.
“I understand, but you also stated that to me and four other people in the room,” Miculinich said. “But, you’re going to take that back.”
Supervisor Shirley Vermace asked the board if, in order to remedy the issue, the board would rescind the motion for the appointment, schedule and post a new application deadline, have interested people apply and have those applications then be submitted to the Board of Health. The Board of Health would then make its recommendation, Vermace said.
County Attorney Andy Van Der Maten advised the board that “… within one week, someone who voted in favor of it can make the motion to rescind the appointment, it needs to be voted on, and then you can follow the process Shirley is talking about.”
Vermance made the motion to rescind the appointment, per Van Der Maten’s advisement, and Supervisor Mark Faldet seconded. Supervisor Vick abstained. The motion passes unanimously.
Dec. 29 was unanimously approved as the new deadline for applications for the open Board of Health seat. Vick, again, abstained from voting on the issue.
Other business
• The board unanimously approved a resolution of intent for the National Flood Insurance Program.
• Emergency Management Director Sean Snyder and Winneshiek County Medical Examiner Dr. Kevin Locke presented the county’s Mass Fatality Plan to the supervisors.
• County Treasurer Brenda Kreitzer presented her department’s budget for fiscal year 2025. Annual county budget information will be presented in a future edition of the Public Opinion.
• New County Engineer Michael Kueny attended his first meeting solo and reported that he’s settling into his new position.
The next Board of Supervisors meeting will be held Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, at 9:30 a.m., at the Winneshiek County Courthouse Annex.
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