Hospital board still seeking trustee

The Board of Trustees for Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) has been working with just four members since August, when Trustee Ed Ray resigned his position representing the Moorcroft area.

At last week’s meeting, the board discussed next steps in finding a volunteer to fill out his remaining term, which ends in 2024.

“I know this board has made significant efforts, I know there have been personal contacts, I know there was an article published in the newspaper,” said Board Attorney Kara Ellsbury.

“If we don’t find someone shortly, though, I think we need to start paying for and running an advertisement because I really want us to be fulfilling our obligation to try to find someone.”

If the board continues to have trouble finding a candidate, Ellsbury continued, it would at least be able to point to all the efforts being made.

“I like that idea,” responded Chairman Mark Erickson.

Speaking to the personal contacts mentioned by Ellsbury, Trustee Sandy Neiman offered to provide a list of the people she had spoken to about the possibility of joining the board.

Neiman has at least one person still potentially interested, she said, and will make every effort to have them attend the next board meeting. She expressed that she had tried to have one possible candidate attend last week’s meeting, but they were ultimately unable to do so.

Her fellow board members assured her that her efforts are appreciated and that the responsibility for finding a new trustee is not hers alone.

Ellsbury said that, in the meantime, she will do further research on what the board should do if all possibilities are exhausted.

Fortunately, “We still have a quorum,” Ellsbury said.

The trustee position represents Moorcroft Trustee Area 1776, and must therefore live within this part of the county.

The Moorcroft Trustee Area covers the southwestern portion of the county, roughly located in the area bordered by Deadman Creek Rd in the north to U.S. Highway 14 on the eastern border, continuing down the eastern side of Keyhole Reservoir and onto Wagner Rd.

Interested persons should contact the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Mark Erickson, at [email protected] or (303) 517-0392.

With only four board members at this time, the board voted to retain its current officers for the year ahead. Trustee Brent Fowler put forth a motion, unanimously approved, for Trustee Bob Richey to continue as treasurer, Neiman as secretary and Erickson as chairman.