Union County Emergency Management commission unanimously approved to table action on the coordinator position during its meeting Wednesday in Creston.
The decision to table came after a closed session meeting with Union County Attorney Shane O’Toole. No further comment was made by any board member following the vote to table.
The coordinator position highlighted a commission meeting in September. Then, the commission approved in a 5-2 vote to retain employee Bonnie Castillo.
That meeting was moderated by Paul Greufe, who is the the county’s human resource director. He attended Wednesday’s meeting via a teleconference. Castillo was hired last year to be trained and eventually replace EMA Director Jo Duckworth in July this year.
Greufe said he was contacted by Duckworth about concerns with Castillo and her performance. Greufe then had a telephone meeting with Duckworth and commissioner board chairman Dennis Brown who is also a Union County Supervisor.
Greufe said there were incidents of possible insubordination with attending a Creston Farmers Market, feeding a feral cat at the emergency management office on Taylor Street and Castillo’s tendency to create drama in the workplace and community.
“Are they substantiated or are they not,” Greufe told the board. He said the only purpose of the meeting was to review and determine if the accusations are valid and should be acted on.
In other board action, member Chris Knouse was named chairman of the commission board effective July 1. Terry Gilbert was named vice chairman. Brown did not want to continue as chairman for another year. The board approved a public hearing Feb. 21 for its proposed budget.