Health officer seeks immediate hire for environmental specialist as board approves a health‑board nomination

The Warrick County health officer told commissioners April 13 that the county needs to fill two health‑board and staff gaps: a nominated health‑board member to replace Melanie Lots, and an environmental septic specialist that was inadvertently left out of the 2026 budget after fund and job‑title coding changes.

Dr. Carrie (health officer) described the nomination of Steve McKeathan, identified in the meeting as a nursing administrator at Ascension St. Vincent Warrick Hospital and a Warrick County resident, to replace a departing health‑board member; the board voted in favor of the nomination.

Separately, Dr. Carrie explained that when salaries were moved between budget funds (to avoid relying on an uncertain HFI funding stream), the environmental specialist line was incorrectly coded under a different category, leaving no specific line item for 2026. Staff reported the position is critical during the busy spring season and that a state representative who had been assisting local inspectors was hospitalized, increasing strain. The health board drafted a resolution and a letter (building on a letter the state representative had prepared) to ask county council for an exception to hire the position immediately rather than wait until the 2027 budget year.

Commissioners advised staff to submit the job description and proposed salary to county HR/compensation (Crystal was named) for ranking and confirmation, and to forward the health board’s resolution and letter to county council for consideration. No final hiring action was taken by the commissioners at the meeting; the decision rests with council and budget procedures.

The board approved the health‑board nomination; staff committed to forwarding materials to HR and coordinating with council on the requested hiring exception.