Frenchko splits attention at weekly meeting

Commissioner listens to bankruptcy hearing while agenda discussed

WARREN -- Trumbull County Commissioner Niki Frenchko split her attention on Wednesday between listening to a court hearing in which the fate of two local hospitals may be determined and this week's regularly scheduled commissioners meeting, which occurred simultaneously.

Prior to the 10:30 a.m. start of the commissioners' meeting, Frenchko asked Commissioner Denny Malloy if they could delay it to allow her, and others, to listen to a bankruptcy hearing in which the court was discussing an interim agreement involving Steward Health Care, Medical Properties Trust, Insight Hospital Systems and others.

The agreement discussed during the court hearing would allow Insight Hospital Systems to operate the local hospitals, as well as other Steward facilities, while a new owner is identified and can take over.

Malloy denied Frenchko's request to delay the start of the meeting, stating he already had a separate meeting scheduled to discuss the hospital after the commissioners' meeting was completed. That meeting, according to Malloy, could not be delayed.

Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa added there had been a meeting with Insight representatives Sunday, during which the potential acquisition had been discussed. Frenchko, who regularly uses her cellphone to record commissioners' meetings, instead set the volume relatively low and used it to listen to the bankruptcy hearing while the commissioners' meeting was taking place.

As the meeting's agenda items were being voted on, Frenchko's attention was divided between what was happening in the room and what was being said on the phone.

There were times Frenchko would drop her head close to the desk to listen to discussion happening in the court, while the other commissioners were discussing the agenda items.

On one such item, Frenchko broke away from listening to the court hearing to discuss the specifics of items on the commissioners' agenda.

One item that merited a lengthy discussion was the hiring of the law firm of attorney Brant K. Rhoad and Associates that would handle the county's workers' compensation cases in the event the cases reach the common pleas court level. The firm would be paid $250 per hour for its work.

Frenchko sought to delay the vote for one week to allow the county time to see if there were other qualified attorneys that could represent the county at a lower per-hour cost.

Human Resources Director Alexandra DeVengencie-Bush emphasized her office has been handling all workers' compensation cases. However, she added, if a case is not settled and reaches the common pleas court, then the county should have an attorney available to handle the court case.

"I am not a lawyer," DeVengencie-Bush noted.

She noted the law firm would only be used in cases that enter the common pleas court level.

So far this year, no workers' compensation case has reached that level, she noted.

Frenchko emphasized that she only wanted to see if the county could find another attorney that would handle these cases at a lower per-hour cost.

Cantalamessa and Malloy voted to allow the hiring of the law firm. Frenchko abstained.

Toward the end of the meeting, Trumbull County Auditor Martha Yoder complained it had been difficult to hear what was happening because of the sounds of the court hearing coming from Frenchko's phone.

The court hearing was completed prior to the end of the commissioners' meeting.

Frenchko defended listening to the court hearing, saying it is important for the commissioners to know exactly what was happening with the threatened closure of the local hospitals in order to make decisions on how best to provide assistance to the troubled facilities.

Frenchko announced there has been an interim agreement involving MPT, Steward Health and Insight Hospitals. A final hearing on the settlement is set for Tuesday. An executed order is expected as soon as possible after that hearing.