County names Dr. Lily Wittich health officer; commissioners approve six‑month services agreement

The Baker County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 8 appointed Dr. Lily Wittich as the county’s public health officer and approved a six‑month professional services agreement to align the position with the fiscal year.

Presentation and rationale: Chastity Anderson, assistant director of the Baker County Health Department, told the commissioners that Dr. Wittich had previously served as the department’s family planning physician and that Eastern Oregon Medical Associates lists Dr. Wittich’s practice and patient services. Chastity said the short contract term — six months initially — was intended to align the appointment with the county fiscal year; staff may thereafter propose a renewal for a two‑year term.

Contract terms: the board approved a professional services agreement that provides compensation at $2,100 per month, not to exceed $15,000 over the six‑month term, the motion states. Commissioners and staff clarified a minor technical edit in the contract text (pronoun usage in the insurance section) that would be corrected before final signature.

Board action: Commissioner moved to approve the professional services agreement and appoint Dr. Wittich as health officer for six months; another commissioner seconded. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the resolution appointing Chastity Anderson as local public health administrator earlier in the meeting, and approved Dr. Wittich’s six‑month contract and appointment in the same session. The board approved signing the document out of session if necessary.

Next steps: staff will finalize the contract wording and secure signatures. The county intends to return to the board before the end of the six‑month term with recommendations for a longer contract, if appropriate.