Directors work past conflict
By Melinda L. Lucas
No major skirmishes were recorded at the Jan. 20 meeting of the Shackelford County Hospital District’s board of directors, with those present voicing a desire to move forward from the problematic sessions over the last four months.
In the portion of the meeting that “revisited disciplinary action on Mateo Millan,” Maggie Viertel stated that “I was a big part of the conflict that has governed these meetings for four months, and I’m asking, can we go forward with face-to-face contact about these things and have better communication?”
She requested that the verbal warning against Millan that passed on a 4-2 split vote Nov. 18 be reversed, especially in light of the fact that board member Michelle Alexander, who voted in favor of the action, later said she had not understood the motion.
Alexander was not present at Monday’s meeting, and board president Jason Price had received a message from her that day submitting her resignation from the board.
At the Nov. 18 meeting, Price had actually recommended that Millan be placed on administrative leave because he had not responded to Price’s request for information.
“I was extremely irritated because it was a simple request for information,” Price said. “I was probably a little hot-headed at the moment, but I made my recommendation to the board, and from there, it was the board’s decision.”
Rather than administrative leave, the directors passed the 4-2 vote for a verbal warning because it was Millan’s first offense.
Viertel and Jo Ann Estridge, who was the second vote against the motion, would like for the action to be “rescinded” because it will apparently be part of Millan’s permanent record.
“Why are we picking one person to punish when others have offenses that are just as bad?” Estridge asked.
After more discussion, the board agreed that Viertel could place an action item on the next agenda with more specific wording asking that the disciplinary action be reversed.
“It’s not okay to not respond, and Mateo understands that,” Viertel said.
Board member Mike Folsom commented that there were going to be occasional warnings for both district employees and directors.
“I got a verbal warning, and it’s not my first one,” Folsom said. “I just take it and go on and try to do better.”
In other business, the directors approved a $125,000 transfer to the EMS operating account for routine expenses.
A report from the finance committee, which includes Harris, Viertel, and Estridge, stated that the committee members had met with Millan to review employee time sheets and with district administrator Brandi Green to go over several clinic billing and collection strategies.
There was a call for an election on May 3, 2025.
