After reviewing several options, the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners is expected to appoint an interim public health director in February.

The board met in a workshop on Tuesday along with current Freeborn County Public Health Director Lois Ahern, Debra Burns of the Minnesota Department of Health and Brian Buhmann, director of Freeborn County Department of Human Services.

In December, Ahern announced her plans to retire from the position, after 32 years with the department. Her last day is Feb. 28.

Those at the meeting discussed three options. The first was keeping the Freeborn County Public Health Department as it is, with a new director being hired to fill Ahern’s position.

Other options discussed were combining the Public Health Department with the Freeborn County Human Services Department, or merging public health with surrounding counties. For instance, the public health departments of Dodge and Steele counties operate jointly as Dodge/Steele Community Health.

“The commissioners looked at the costs, the efficiencies and the delivery of public health services to the community,” said Freeborn County Administrator John Kluever. “They think the best way to provide these services is to leave things the way they are.”

Kluever said there wouldn’t be much change in costs if the Freeborn County Public Health Department merged its services because there have never been any plans to actually move the offices or facilities of public health.

“The offices would stay the same; they would not be under one roof with any other department,” Kluever said. “We would still have human services where they’re at now and public health where they’re at now, so none of those costs would change.”

Because county officials met in a public workshop, the issue was up for discussion only; no action could be taken.

Kluever said the county is currently looking at people qualified to serve as an interim director, and no names of prospects have yet been released. Because Ahern acts as the public health director and is required by the state to also serve as the community health services administrator, the person who will be appointed as an interim must also be qualified to serve in both positions.

Kluever expects the interim to be named in February. He also said it’s likely the board will authorize approval for the county to go ahead in filling the director’s position on a permanent basis come February. After posting the position and interviews, he said it’s likely the position would not be filled on a permanent basis until at least mid-March.

In the event that nothing is solidified by March 1, then Kluever will become the interim director until the position is filled.

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. 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.