Back to square one with Health Officer
For the third time in less than a year, Shasta County is having to restart its search for a Health Officer.
Supervisors Rickert and Tim Garman told the Record Searchlight after Tuesday's meeting that the offer was rescinded after a background check on the individual came back.
"Let's just say he met the minimum requirements on paper and he was a cordial individual. But I had my concerns after the interview, then the background check confirmed he wasn't an appropriate fit for the county," Rickert said.
Rickert said this latest finalist was the only person to interview this time around.
“It’s very concerning to me again that we are not able to attract qualified candidates and I’m hoping at some point we will be able to convince someone to fill this position because our county desperately has a lot of health issues that need to be addressed,” Rickert said.
It’s been more than a year since former Health Officer Ramstrom was fired without cause by a 3-2 vote. Voting to dismiss Ramstrom were Supervisors Les Baugh, Jones and Garman. Voting against the termination were Supervisors Mary Rickert and Joe Chimenti.
In February, county officials were set to interview a finalist. But the person pulled out of the interview after taking a similar position in another state, Health and Human Services Agency Director Laura Burch told the Record Searchlight.
The first attempt to replace Ramstrom failed in August when the preferred candidate declined the job offer after a panel of county officials interviewed him. The panel that interviewed the candidate was unanimous in its endorsement of him. It was only after that interviews that the county extended an offer to him.