An audience of people, including state officials from the Illinois Department of Health were in attendance at the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department meeting in Gilman Monday night. But a quorum of the health board wasn’t there. So, there was no official meeting.

But there was plenty said by those in attendance.

Notably absent from the meeting were the three Iroquois County members of the health board—Michelle Fairley, Lauren Luecke and County Board Chairman Rod Copas.

Fairley and Luecke are newcomers to the health board; both appointed by Chairman Copas and approved by the Iroquois County Board after past members were dismissed from their positions.

Ford County State’s Attorney Matt Fitton recommended the health board not get involved in any binding action, since there’s question about a legal quorum due to the absent Iroquois County membership.

The printed agenda for the meeting included obvious controversy in light of the fact, that the Iroquois and Ford County Boards have differing opinions on how matters involving health department administrator Doug Corbett. The two boards are at a stalemate regarding Corbett’s position.

One agenda item for Monday’s meeting dealt with the ‘lifting of Corbett’s temporary suspension to hire, fire, re-assign or discipline health department employees.

Another agenda matter was the ‘appointment of a Board of Health Treasurer to sign checks; an alleged conflict with the Illinois state statutes and the board of health by-laws.

Also on the agenda was discussion and opinion of legal counsel to impartially represent the health department due to conflict of interest.

94.1 FM, WGFA