The director of the Hatcom County Well being Division, Erika Lautenbach, was abruptly positioned licensed on Wednesday afternoon, March 5, and her workplace has been clear.
Two members of the County Council who spoke with Cascadia Every day Information mentioned they stayed at midnight, first listened to the rumors in regards to the state of affairs of the constituents who observed that the director of Well being and Neighborhood Providers was lacking within the conferences.
The connected prosecutor Senior George Roche despatched an e-mail to the members of the County Council that knowledgeable them that Lautenbach was “licensed” at 10 am on Tuesday, March 11. Lautenbach was appointed for the place in March 2020 originally of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was commissioned that it has grow to be one of many largest and most complicated departments of the County.
“We are going to replace it when we’ve got extra info to share,” mentioned the e-mail, which was obtained by way of a request for public information after the Satpalhu County Govt “renounced privileges” within the “curiosity of transparency.”
The e-mail didn’t include particulars of whether or not Lautenbach would return to his place or the explanation he was licensed. Lautenbach couldn’t be contacted instantly to remark. An e-mail to your work tackle earlier this week obtained a solution exterior the workplace.
“Evidently it has been fired, and no person says it,” mentioned County Council member Todd Donovan, Cascadia Every day Information on Thursday, March 13. “The Govt has not given us the courtesy of claiming what is occurring.”
An interview scheduled with Lautenbach and one other CDN reporter have been canceled 10 minutes earlier than they have been anticipated to satisfy on Thursday, March 6.
Donovan mentioned that if it was a personnel situation, Sidhu may have put upstairs in an govt session.
“If it is only a common,” I am reorganizing my management, “inform us that publicly,” Donovan mentioned.
Donovan mentioned he understands that Sidhu has the appropriate to fireside individuals and make changes to division leaders as mandatory. Nonetheless, Sidhu, who took the helm in 2019, has not but fired a division chief.
“Given the factor with the director of earlier public works, that solely shouts that we want extra transparency about what is occurring,” Donovan mentioned. “I’m at midnight, once more, right here.”
The previous director of Public Works, Jon Hutchings, signed a separation settlement with the county after resigning amid accusations of sexual harassment, which lastly resulted in a $ 225,000 settlement. The County Council was blind for the circumstances round Hutchings and the settlement, first studying a couple of PBS Cascade investigation.
The county council member, Ben Elenbaas, mentioned a constituent was the primary to place the issue on his radar. Elenbaas ignored him, however when he approached Lautenbach and obtained a solution exterior the workplace, he started to marvel.
“Evidently there are some chaos right here,” Elenbaas mentioned. “I hope, in addition to the general public, it’s essential to anticipate, that if there’s something that’s occurring, that we should always all be told.”
Elenbaas mentioned that though he usually challenges the Division of Well being on the conferences of the County Council, he respects Lautenbach, recognizing how a lot the division has grown since he took over.
“If there’s any management change, on which we’ve got not been knowledgeable, what’s Plan B?” Donovan mentioned.
When the County Parks and Recreation Director retired in 2023, Donovan mentioned the county made a nationwide search.
“It was a course of thought-about,” mentioned Donovan, noting that he didn’t know a seek for a alternative for the chief of one of many “most constant departments when it comes to complexity and finances” within the county.
When Lautenbach was employed, he had greater than 15 years of expertise in public well being and had “demonstrated his potential to handle individuals, tasks and organizations and be strategic in his strategy to implement public well being initiatives,” based on a 2020 press launch.
Donovon mentioned the division, which makes use of about 150 individuals, supplies a broad spectrum of group companies, from psychological well being and veteran packages to immunization clinics and the elimination of poisons. It is usually on the primary line of the county response to the fentanyl disaster and the shortage of housing locally. The division can also be in control of implementing the very debated Wholesome Youngsters’s Fund.
The assistant director of the Division of Well being, Charlene Lamont, serves as an interim director, confirmed the spokesman for County Jed Holmes.
“Within the absence of particulars, individuals will full their very own particulars. So I feel he’s solely accountable for individuals who do know what is occurring to say what is occurring, ”mentioned Elenbaas. “Clearly one thing is occurring.”
Isaac Stone Simonelli is the Enterprise reporter/CDN analysis; Talk with him at Isaacsimelli@cascadiadiaily.com; 360-922-3090 Ext. 127.