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Bracken EMS board improperly holds meeting in unknown location
Wednesday, January 31, 2007 10:53 PM EST
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| This Bracken EMS building is located in the east end of Augusta. The service's headquarters is located in Brooksville where a notice for a private meeting was posted Tuesday. Terry Prather/Staff |
Despite a posting at the EMS squad building office in Brooksville where the board normally meets, that listed the time as 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 30, the board never arrived there for a meeting. An alternate location for the meeting was not on the notice, as required by Kentucky Revised Statute 61.805.
In accordance with the open meetings laws, the time, place and reason for the special meeting needed to be posted so interested members of the public could attend, even if the group intended to conduct an executive session during what is required to be a public meeting.
At 6:20 p.m. tables and chairs were in place, but no board members were in sight.
As the clock ticked past the starting hour and on to 7 p.m. and after, it was evident the meeting board member Jim Thornbury said was planned to discuss and interview candidates for the EMS administrator position, was not taking place in the usual location of the EMS meeting room.
"I don't know where they are," said Betty McClanahan, EMS director who was finishing up the day's paperwork in her office next to the usual meeting room.
The error in posting a location of the meeting was also noticed by Bracken County Attorney Michael Clark earlier Tuesday.
"When I saw that the notice said it was a private meeting I knew they would be open for problems," said Clark, "The fiscal court has very little say over the actions of such boards, but the ethics board should be looking into this kind of thing. We are hoping a lot of things will hopefully change (with all boards), because of things like this happening and getting noticed by the public."
Clark, who represents the interests of Bracken County but not Bracken County EMS, which lists Ed Massey as its attorney, said he would be contacting Massey to get his opinion on what had occurred Tuesday night and the references board members have made to acting on Massey's advice.
In a conversation prior to the meeting, Gary Riggs, Bracken County judge-executive explained the only link the county has with the operations of the ambulance service is through holding the Certificate of Need. Recommending board members chosen from applicants is the only other connection the fiscal court touches, said Riggs.
"When there is a vacancy on the board, it is to be advertised and I will receive the applications. That gives me something to choose from for recommendations that I bring before the magistrates," said Riggs.
Riggs was at an out-of-town training session Wednesday and unavailable for comment on the events of Tuesday night.
Normal operations of the EMS have not been affected by recent board events, said McClanahan.
"I believe it is necessary at this time to let all citizens in Bracken County and the part of Robertson County we serve that we have trained and dedicated EMTs that are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week that will get to them as quickly as they can when they are called to do so," said McClanahan, Wednesday.
For more area news, go to www.bracken-online.com
Contact Wendy Mitchell at wendy.mitchell@lee.net or call 564-9091, ext. 276.
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