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ALPENA — Since District Health Department No. 4 (DHD4) terminated their contract with District Health Department No. 2 (DHD2) in September, there have been some employment vacancies filled and some temporarily filled.

Shifts in DHD4 employment have also occurred, though not all related to the contract termination.

The News reported back in September that Denise Bryan, DHD4’s former administrative health officer, had been released from the department following the termination of DHD4’s contract with DHD2.

Lucille Bray, Alpena County commissioner and DHD4 health board member, told The News back in September that prior to terminating the DHD2 contract, the board had discovered that Bryan was not meeting her contractual obligations.

At the September meeting, Peltier accepted the position as interim administrative health officer without compensation.

Peltier told the board on Tuesday that the state does not want the department to go without a full time administrative health officer for more than six months. He added that since posting the position they’ve received seven applications, though haven’t received one that fits all the preferred qualities.

“We don’t have an individual that is picture perfect for all of the areas,” Peltier said.

Peltier explained that the leadership team is considering adding the environmental health director position with the officer position, as the former environmental health director, Steve Horton, resigned prior to Tuesday’s meeting.

According to Peltier, the former environmental health director resigned from the leadership role and resumed their previous sanitarian position with DHD4.

Peltier said that the demands of the job led to the resignation.

He added that a problem of the environmental health director position is that one person has to manage four counties and bundles of work.

“It’s hard to have one director cover all four areas,” Peltier said. “You can only do so much with a telephone and with the internet. A lot of times you have to be on site.”

While searching for a new environmental health director, Peltier said Nathan Scott has been named “point man” for the current sanitarians so that the department can continue to provide necessary services.

A sanitarian conducts health and safety inspections.

Peltier explained that the leadership team is considering appointing two separate sanitarians as “coordinators” that would split the coverage area and duties.

Cliff Tollini, Presque Isle County commissioner, asked if a dual coordinator solution would be temporary.

Peltier said the dual coordinator solution would be temporary, though the leadership team is considering that as a long-term answer.

“Then if it works alright having the coordinator, you might not need a director,” Mary Hardies, Montmorency County commissioner and health board member, said. “If it works, that decreases the load.”

“We’ll be watching it very closely,” Peltier added. “There are still a lot of things to shake out and see where all the pieces end up.”

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.