Supervisors Friday named understaffed Department of Social Services Commissioner Donna Becker their short-term Interim Public Health Director, effective Monday.
Short-term until next Thursday, when Otsego County Health Director Heidi Bond is expected to take over the job—with that critical word:
Interim.
Ms. Bond will fill the slot left by Amy Gildemeister.
Maybe.
Supervisors voted in December not to reappoint Dr. Gildemeister to a second six-year term, ignoring a unanimous vote by the Schoharie County Board of Health to do so.
But in a January 12 letter to Supervisors’ chair Bill Federice, the state’s Acting Health Commissioner said they have no authority to remove Dr. Gildemeister—that authority lies with the Board of Health.
Only the Board of Health can remove a county health officer and only “upon written charges,” and after due notice and a hearing, wrote Acting Commissioner James McDonald.
“Therefore, I hereby reinstate Dr. Amy Gildemeister as the Schoharie County Public Health Director effective immediately.”
Monday, Dr. Gildemeister reported to work to find the lock changed on her office door; she’s spent the days since working in a nearby conference room.
January 12 is the same day Mr. Federice, County Administrator Korsah Akumfi, and Seward Supervisor Earlin Rosa, now chair of the Public Health Committee, met with the Board of Health.
Friday, Mr. Federice characterized that meeting as “very productive.”
“I’m hoping we can work together to find the right person so we can go forward,” he said, adding that the decision to appoint an interim director was intentional.
“Interim is the key word,” Mr. Federice said; supervisors have the authority to fill the post with an interim director, he said.
In an email Monday, Roy Korn, president of thw Schoharie County Board of Health, wrote:
“The Board of Health has not changed our position that our reappointment of Dr. Gildemeister still stands.”
Dr. Korn agreed with Mr. Federice that the meeting on the 12th “was productive, but we did not resolve all of our differences.”
Supervisors have offered no reason for their decision not to reappoint Dr. Gildemeister, but in a letter to the editor, Schoharie Supervisor Alan Tavenner criticized her management of the Public Health Office, referred to “litigation from non-profit organizations resulting from her actions,” and wrote “Yes, her response to COVID had a role.”
Supervisors have said that while it’s the Board of Health’s role to name a Public Health Director, it’s theirs to fund it—or not.
Friday, they moved $75,000 from the Public Health Director’s line in the budget to Public Health Director Contract.
As interim director, Ms. Bond would be paid $50 an hour beginning February 2.
She will continue to work as Otsego County Health Director.
In another fall-out from supervisors’ decision, Mr. Federice also removed Fulton Supervisor Phil Skowfoe from the Public Health Committee, which he had chaired.
It wasn’t retaliation for supporting the Board of Health and Dr. Gildemeister Mr. Federice said at the time—and again Friday—but because Mr. Skowfoe refused to represent the Board of Supervisors “and the wishes of this board.
“Frankly, that’s the prerogative of the chairman,” he said, of filling committees and naming chairs.
Mr. Skowfoe disagrees.
“…we are supposed to be free thinkers,” he told Mr. Federice. I believe the path I chose was the right one.
“The decisions I made were what I felt were best for the county. I have more years of experience on the Health Committee than any other member of this board, but you chose not to listen to anything I said.
“I was trying to prevent a lawsuit and keep a qualified person in the position.”