By Scott Loftis
Eureka Springs Times-Echo
After an executive session that lasted just more than an hour, the Eureka Springs Hospital Commission voted without dissent to take no action at a special meeting Thursday, March 13. A special meeting of the Eureka Springs City Council, which had been scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, was canceled Wednesday afternoon.
The hospital commission convened shortly after 10 a.m. in basement of the Aud, with chair Sandy Martin announcing that the purpose of the meeting was “employment, promotion, demotion, termination or discipline.”
Immediately after roll call, Martin called for a motion to go into executive session. Commissioner Sharon Deramus made the motion, with a second from Kate Dryer, and the commission approved the motion 3-0. Martin did not vote on the motion.
At that point, the commission went into executive session and the audience was asked to leave the room.
Audience members were asked to return to the room approximately 62 minutes later. The commission then voted to adjourn the executive session and resume the open session. Commissioner David Carlisle, who was not present before the executive session, was at the table when the commission returned from the executive session. Commissioners also were joined by Little Rock attorney Gabe Mallard, who was present from the beginning of the meeting.
After the commission returned to open session, Martin said she would entertain “a motion of no action taken,” and commissioner Brian Beyler made the motion with a second from Deramus. The commission then approved the motion on a voice vote with no dissent. Martin did not vote on the motion.
The special meeting of the hospital commission came less than 72 hours after the Eureka Springs City Council voted at its regular meeting on Monday, March 10, to give the commission two weeks to take action in connection with persistent complaints by former hospital employees and contractors of a toxic work environment. Most of those complaints have centered around Jodi Edmondson, the hospital’s human resources director and acting chief executive officer, and chief financial officer Cynthia Asbury.
At Monday’s city council meeting, council member David Avanzino made a motion of the issue, saying: “I make a motion to give the Eureka Springs Hospital Commission two weeks to make changes to their membership and their administration or else we start removing commissioners.”
Council member Susane Gruning seconded Avanzino’s motion and it passed unanimously on a voice vote.
On Wednesday, the city council scheduled a special meeting for 1 p.m. Thursday, but that meeting was canceled on Wednesday afternoon.
The hospital commission is scheduled to hold a regular meeting at 2 p.m. Monday, March 17, at the Aud. The next regular meeting of the city council is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, March 24.
