St. Joseph County commissioners this week opted into receiving millions of new state dollars to improve public health starting next year. But the all-Republican three-member body, and the man they tapped to lead the health department on an interim basis, are raising questions as they reconfigure the county board of health.
The new state law, which took effect July 1, requires changes to how county health boards are made up. Health boards must increase from seven to nine members. It gives county commissioners wide discretion to appoint seven of the members, and the mayors of the county’s two largest cities must give commissioners a list of three nominees from which to pick the eighth and ninth members.
On Wednesday commissioners reappointed five board members: President John Lynn, Dr. Michelle Megliore, Kristin Vincent, Dr. Robert Hayes and Ellen Reilander. But before their unanimous votes to reappoint those members, and to appoint a new member, Dr. Elizabeth Lindenman, the interim health officer, Dr. Joseph Cerbin, told commissioners two things.
“The Board of Health voted that all of these individuals be asked to be reappointed to the Board of Health, and we would ask that these individuals be reappointed today,” Cerbin said.
And then this.
“Yeah the Board of Health has nominated Dr. Lindenman to be on the board,” Cerbin said.
There was just one problem. Neither thing that Cerbin told the commissioners had happened, ever happened.
“He must be confused?” Beidinger said. “Because that did not happen at an open Board of Health meeting.”
That’s Heidi Beidinger, a health board member appointed by South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg in 2018.
“I’ve been at all of the meetings. That did not take place. Had it taken place, I would have recognized in the moment that I was not being reappointed.”
Beidinger says the health board also never voted to recommend that commissioners appoint Dr. Lindemann. Neither of the two actions can be found on any Bo ard of Health monthly meeting agendas.
“The first time I’ve ever heard Dr. Lindenman’s name was when I saw it on the commissioners’ agenda. We did not take a public vote to nominate that person.”
Cerbin declined WVPE’s interview request for this story.
Two more health board nominations from the mayors have yet to come to the commissioners. Unlike county commissioners, the mayors have limitations on who they can recommend. They aren’t allowed to recommend a “public health professional, including an epidemiologist.”
Beidinger is an epidemiologist. Her bachelor’s and master’s degrees are in public health. She’s an associate professor in the University of Notre Dame’s Department of Biological Sciences, where she directs its Masters of Science in Global Health Program.
South Bend Mayor James Mueller says city attorneys are working on whether they can classify her as an environmental scientist or a social worker for the nomination to commissioners. Those are two occupations that the law lists, but doesn’t define, as acceptable for mayors to nominate.
“Obviously I would like to have some continuity on the board and Heidi had been president at one point, and helped really raise the level of the health department,” Mueller said. “We’ve made tremendous strides. They were able to win competitive grants from different agencies to bring more dollars to improve public health in our city and the broader community.”
Beidinger notes that not only did the health board never vote to recommend Dr. Lindenman as Cerbin claims, but commissioners haven’t publicly interviewed her or any of their other people they’ve appointed to the health board.
Commissioners President Carl Baxmeyer did not reply to WVPE’s interview request.
Luke Britt, Indiana’s Public Access Counselor, said he wasn’t available for an on-air interview Friday. But in an email to WVPE, Britt said, “Board appointees must be interviewed publicly if the interview is conducted by a majority of a governing body.”
