Marion County Emer?gency Medical Service Director Brandy McCarty resigned from her job Monday after three executive sessions totaling 35 minutes with the county commissioners.
Also participating in the sessions were Gene Winkler, EMS ambulance coordinator, and Don Hodson of St. Luke Physicians, who is EMS consulting physician.
Commissioners acknowledged they didn?t want to lose McCarty, but understood her position after several weeks of executive sessions with McCarty that appeared to culminate in the dismissal of EMT Larry Larsen of Peabody in late October.
McCarty said she would stay on as the full-time director for two weeks, then for half time as long as the county needed her to help facilitate the search for a new director.
Commission Chairman Dan Holub said he felt ?very obligated? to point out that a lot of people have wanted to blame McCarty for difficulties even when she has done a good job.
?They thought they were more qualified, and they flat refused to get along,? he said.
Commissioner Randy Dallke agreed, saying the incident has created ?a cloud hanging over? the entire EMT service.
?Thank God, for our EMT volunteers who have stepped up to keep things going,? Dallke said.
He added that the commissioners will need to re-examine the emergency service to determine how to move forward in the face of declining volunteers.
Commissioner Lori Lalouette was absent because of illness. Hillsboro Mayor Delores Dalke observed the proceedings.
Randy Eitzen of the Peabody area said many people from the area are disappointed at Larsen?s dismissal.
Other business
The commissioners approved a request from County Attorney Susan Robson to use $6,000 given to her as a raise for hiring another attorney to help with the workload she can?t complete in a 40-hour week to assist in cases where she has a conflict of interest.
The commissioners voted to abandon Goldenrod Road north of 285th west of Durham, returning it to the possessions of landowners along it. The decision was made after the designated time for hearing opposition had expired. The road dead-ended because a later roadway around it was built.
Mike Beneke and Tim Donahue met with the commissioners to ask that concrete bridges at 280th and Bluestem be abandoned because the creek that once flowed under them has rerouted.
Jesse Hamm, acting road and bridge director, said he wants to look at the bridges before a final decision is made.
It was decided that Dallke and Bruce Boettcher would consult with the Peabody City Commission at its Monday night meeting to see what the city might want to do to protect 6-inch water lines on Nighthawk before final approval is granted to straighten a curve there north of the city.
The commissioners met with Health Department Director Diedre Serene for 10 minutes in an executive session for personnel after which they discussed pay methods for a post-natal nurse to do child and mother home visits.
The commissioners agreed to have Waste Director Bud Druse enroll Marion County in a program with other counties for disposing hazardous waste as outlined in last week?s issue.
Druse reported that Marion County collected 476.27 tons of municipal solid waste and 70.60 tons of commercial and demolition waste during October.
He said the cost per ton of fuel, driver and tipping fee was $39.03. The price per ton received for recyclables was $30, Druse said, while the cost of fuel to transport a ton was $1.68.
Eitzen asked commissioners to consider abandoning two miles of road that curve off at 70th and Remington and ?don?t go anywhere.?
