The Wood County Health District Advisory Council mustered a quorum Friday, but interest in the meetings
still remains low.
The board, which typically meets once per year, had to schedule a second meeting after one earlier this
month was not well-attended, leaving the group without enough members present to conduct any official
business.
The DAC is made up of the mayors of Wood County’s cities and villages, the president of each township
board of trustees, and the president of the board of county commissioners. If they’re unable to be
present, those office-holders are permitted to appoint other representatives to attend. The council is
responsible for filling certain seats on the Wood County Board of Health and the Health District
Licensing Council, reviewing the health district’s annual report and advising the board on public health
matters.
Some DAC members attempted a meeting in January to renew the appointments of health board members Richard
Strow and DJ Mears, but minutes were incomplete and did not show a full record of who was and was not
present when the group formed an executive committee to make appointments in lieu of a quorum.
The Wood County Prosecutor’s Office later determined the appointments should be made again, but fewer
than half of DAC members were present at the annual meeting March 6, which prompted another session to
be scheduled for Friday following a meeting of the Wood County Township Association.
The meeting narrowly generated enough voting members, with many municipalities and a few townships still
absent.
Not represented at the meeting were Bairdstown, Bloomdale, Bradner, Custar, Grand Rapids, Haskins,
Luckey, Millbury, Milton Center, Northwood, Portage, Risingsun, Rossford, Tontogany, Walbridge, Wayne,
Weston, Henry Township and Perry Township.
Among those present, interest in leading the group was initially nonexistent. Someone suggested Gary
Cromley, who served as secretary and led the March 6 meeting after Brendyn George resigned as chair, but
Cromley declined the nomination. After a long pause, Middleton Township trustee Penny Getz volunteered
and was confirmed for the post. Cromley also declined a nomination to continue as secretary, but he
later accepted the position after no one else stepped forward.
In addition to reappointing Strow and Mears to the health board, the DAC was tasked with making a new
appointment, as one of its representatives, Nilgun Sezginis, shifted to fill a seat formerly held by
Sandy Flick, who was appointed by the mayor of Northwood.
The group struggled to suggest a replacement, eventually waiting on Perrysburg Township trustee Gary
Britten to phone Ron Spoerl of Webster Township, who accepted and was approved for the position on the
health board.
DAC members also appointed Ray Hohman as a retail food representative on the District Licensing Council
and set their next annual meeting for March 5, 2015.