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County reviews DHHS director

Closed session meetings held

By Robert Cloud


Two Waupaca County Board committees went into closed session Wednesday, Feb. 12, to discuss the future of Chuck Price, director of the Department Health and Human Services.

Nearly 100 people went to the meeting. Most of them were employees of the department.

When asked, none of them knew why the committees were meeting in closed session to review Price’s performance.

The meeting agenda indicated the meeting was, among other things, a “preliminary consideration of specific personnel problems or the investigation of charges against specific persons. To wit, Health and Human Services Director.”

Those present were not allowed to comment prior to the Finance Committee and the Health and Human Services Board going into closed session.

Attorney James Macy said the meeting was not the kind where there should be public comment.

Waupaca County Ordinance Chapter 2, section 13.3(5) requires “a time for public input/public comment.”

Supervisor Pat Craig made a motion to suspend the rules and not have public comment.

Both committees voted unanimously to suspend the rules.

After the meeting went into closed session, about 30 people remained in the hallway outside the room.

Supervisor Pete Bosquez told them they needed to leave.

Although they moved further down the hallway, deputies arrived a few minutes later to break up the gathering.

They moved from the hallway into an employee breakroom.

Members of the county board are prohibited from speaking about personnel matters discussed in closed session.

DHHS staff do not know why Price is under scrutiny. They say they are also afraid of retaliation.

Letters of support

One DHHS employee sent an email to the Waupaca County Post.

“I’ll just say we’re being very progressive in change and people don’t like change,” the email said. “It’s interesting how we can be a featured Dept. Of Health and Human Services and highlighted for our ‘change work’ but condemned by our own county partners for not doing enough in their eyes.”

The Waupaca County Post also received a letter from Dr. Amelia Franck Meyer, CEO of Alia, a nonprofit organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota.

According to Meyer, Waupaca County DHHS is among 14 regional counties that have “made incredible changes, including keeping more families safely together and keeping youth out of institutional care. This work was accomplished with the support of the Waupaca County Board, especially the Health and Human Services Committee, and has placed Waupaca County in the forefront of public child welfare agencies in the country.”

Meyer said federal legislation is requiring child service agencies to focus on primary prevention that helps “strengthen families so they are able to safely parent their own children,” rather than secondary prevention, which intervenes after children have been harmed.

The two committees held a second meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 18.

The agenda indicates both the director and the deputy director will be discussed in closed session.

Price has been director of Waupaca County DHHS since March 2012.

Shannon Kelley is the DHHS deputy director.

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