While an interim director has been appointed to the Freeborn County Department of Public Health, the future of how the department will operate remains uncertain.

At the regular board meeting on Tuesday, the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners appointed Sue Yost to take over as interim public health director and community health services administrator effective March 1. The decision comes just weeks before current director Lois Ahern’s retirement goes into effect on Feb. 28.

Yost has been a public health nurse with the department for more than 20 years. For the past 14 years, she has coordinated and supervised the Healthy Family Home Visiting program for Freeborn County.

A separate resolution to consider filling the position on a permanent basis, which would include posting the job and taking applications, was tabled.

According to Freeborn County Administrator John Kluever, commissioners want to review one more option before moving ahead.

The board reviewed several options during a public workshop on Jan. 28, including continuing to keep the department structured and running as it has been, combining the Public Health Department with Freeborn County Human Services Department or merging public health with surrounding counties.

Kluever said after reviewing costs, efficiencies and delivery of public health services to the community, keeping the department as-is and hiring a permanent replacement to take over Ahern’s position was likely the most viable option.

Results of the 2010 U.S. census also are a factor. If Freeborn County has less than 30,000 people, then it must share public health services with another county. For instance, the public health departments of Dodge and Steele counties operate jointly as Dodge/Steele Community Health.

Kluever said he expects to receive those numbers in February or March, and does not expect the county to fall below the 30,000 population.

Kluever also expects commissioners to take the next step by the time the board meets again on Feb. 22.

In additional business, the board took the following actions:

• Approved a resolution to support the acquisition of Union Pacific property along the Hartland subdivision from milepost 119.65 to milepost 107 in Freeborn County for future trail development. Commissioners voted unanimously to submit grant applications to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Parks and Legacy grant program and the Federal Recreational Trail Program to assist in funding for the acquisition.

• Set a public workshop for 5:30 p.m. March 2 to meet with the Albert Lea City Council.

• Approved a special meeting at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 15. The meeting will go into closed session for commissioners to discuss the 2011 salary appeal of the sheriff. The case is slated to be heard at 1 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Freeborn County Courthouse.

• Voted unanimously to allow Freeborn County to enter into a joint powers agreement to continue membership in the South Central Drug Investigation Unit.