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WARREN -- Trumbull County Commissioner Niki Frenchko may not get to appoint two new members to the commissioners' nine-member Human Resources Commission after all.
Board President Frank Fuda on Thursday stated he will not appoint the two persons being recommended by Frenchko, saying they did not apply in time.
Frenchko on April 8 sent an email to fellow Commissioners Mauro Cantalamessa and Fuda, stating she was appointing Lea Dotson and Brent Berkman as her selections to the commissioners panel.
In the letter, Frenchko stated: "I trust you will not interfere with these or future appointments."
Frenchko sent notifications to Dotson and Berkman informing them of the appointments and schedules for the panel's meetings. The panel, among other activities, is expected to make recommendations on the person the county will hire as its next human resources director.
Commissioners passed a resolution in November 2021 advertising for volunteers to serve of the panel. The resolution stated each commissioner would be able to select three members of the panel.
In March, the commissioners voted 2-1 to appoint all nine applicants who applied to serve on the nine-member panel. Frenchko objected, stating she was not given the opportunity to select three persons to serve on the panel, as written in the original resolution. She wanted to place a new advertisement for people to serve on the panel.
Fuda and Cantalamessa overruled her, noting the county needs a new human resources director and they have enough candidates to fill the panel. However, since that time, at least one person, Paul Amos, decided not to serve on the panel.
Frenchko, in a text on Wednesday, said a second person, Jessica Felton, also has decided not to serve on the panel. Felton had applied for the human resource director's position, so there would have been a conflict of interest for her serving on the panel.
Felton told Fuda she would withdraw her name from consideration for the human resources director position and instead volunteer to serve on the panel. Fuda on Thursday said he would not appoint either Dotson or Berkman to the panel but would allow Felton to be reappointed on the condition she withdraws her application.
"The panel will have eight people," Fuda said. "When (former Human Resources Director Richard) Jackson was hired, there were only four persons on the panel that provided recommendations on those who were applying for the job."
Others who were appointed to the panel by a 2-1 vote were Charlene Allen, David M. Bevilacqua, Linsey Gray, Charles Leightner, William Licht, Lindy Lucas and Michael Rapovy Sr.
The panel's first meeting is expected to take place Monday.