T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Belmont County Deputy Health Commissioner Robert Sproul hears input from the health board Monday. The board instructed him to set up a conference with the department’s attorney concerning a complaint by an employee.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Personnel issues topped Monday’s agenda for the Belmont County Health Board.

After three lengthy closed-door sessions regarding personnel and legal matters, the board instructed Deputy Health Commissioner Robert Sproul to set up a conference with the health department’s attorney “concerning disputes involving a public body.”

Sproul declined to comment further on the matter after the meeting.

“We had a complaint against the health department, so we have to speak to our attorney to discuss further action going forward,” he said. “It was by an employee.”

In December, the board also decided to contract with the labor relations and human resources firm Clemans Nelson Associates Inc. to conduct an employee relations audit.

Sproul is continuing to contact the firm.

In other personnel matters, this past November board member Stacey Brown-Brocklehurst had announced plans to resign due to an illness in her family. She will remain in office until March when the District Advisory Committee meets and installs another board member.

Sproul said the board is also preparing a contract for Robert Wetzel, who serves as medical director and has taken over as interim health commissioner following the resignation of Tamara Hess as health commissioner in December. Hess has resumed her position as director of nursing.

Meanwhile, Women, Infants and Children Director Lori Decoy announced the WIC office will soon be headquartered at the former Office of Veterans Affairs on Belmont Street in Bellaire. WIC is currently located in the Chase Bank office building on Belmont Street.

Decoy said the new location would be much more friendly to families with young children in strollers.

“It’s all on one floor for moms and children and babies,” she said. “It’s handicap accessible, so all they have to do is hit the button and the doors open and they go right in with the strollers and the kids. It’s already set up. The veterans had it set up in several offices, and we need individual offices for the program so it’s the perfect building for us and we’re ready to go. We’re excited.”

Decoy said the new building is spacious with six offices and two bathrooms.

“We’ll use it as a breastfeeding room and it has a huge room in the back for meetings and storage,” she said. “It’s just safer than what we’re in right now, as far as elevator use or water damage problems. It’s just a better building, more accessible, easier to get in and out of the building. It’s just a better place, being on one floor.”

Decoy said services will be of the same quality.

“The county commissioners have nicely agreed to help with the utilities until the new health department is built,” she said, adding that WIC will maintain a presence in Bellaire after the new health department building is erected.

“We are going to stay in Bellaire. We’re going to figure that out down the road, but we will eventually be in Bellaire and St. Clairsville,” she said. “We’re not sure if it’s going to be permanent or not, but hopefully stay in Bellaire.”

Decoy said the staff hopes to move to the new location by March.

Sproul said the monthly rent will be about $1,200, the same currently charged at the Chase building.

Decoy said WIC is preparing to celebrate National Nutrition Month in March, and possibly pair it with a grand opening. She said WIC is also celebrating its 50th anniversary.

She added that WIC’s caseload is usually close to 800 women, infants and children.

“We go up to the age of 5, so we see prenatals, postpartum women,” she said.

Decoy said people wishing to sign up for WIC can visit belmontcountyhealth.com or the Ohio Department of Health’s website. The Belmont County Department of Health can be reached at 740-695-1202.