HERMANN — Gasconade County has a new administrator waiting in the wings to run the Health Department, but agency officials are keeping mum on who the person is.

Stan Hall, president of the agency’s Board of Directors, on Monday confirmed to the Gasconade County Republican that a successor has been hired to succeed retiring Administrator Greg Lara. He declined to identify the local woman chosen for the post, noting that she will be joining the agency in about three weeks. He said he would announce the new administrator when she begins the job.

“I think we’ve got a very qualified individual to step into the position,” Hall said. Lara announced his pending retirement several weeks ago. He will remain with the agency until after the first of the year to help the new administrator get settled into the role.

The incoming administrator will be arriving during a time in which the Health Department has been thrust to the forefront of local activity sparked by the coronavirus. In the past year, Lara and his public health agency staff has been forced to focus on virus-related activity, such as contact tracing, during the height of the initial wave of COVID-19. After a brief easing of the virus earlier this year, the Health Department ratcheted up as the virus’ highly infectious Delta variant swept into the region just as the new school year was about to begin.

Dealing with the initial arrival of the virus in March 2019 put the Gasconade County Health Department — and health agencies across the state — at odds with local government officials who were concerned about some of the early steps taken by health agencies to curb the spread of the virus — steps such as issuing an order limiting restaurants to carry-out and pick-up service only.

Indeed, county government officials publicly voiced support for and praised the efforts of the health agency, but privately noted their dismay at some of the measures being taken as regulatory overreach. Despite their concern, there was nothing they could do to alter the steps taken by the health agency, which was acting as an extension of the state health agency, other than speak out publicly.

But now, as Lara’s successor prepares to put her touches on the administrator’s office, the Health Department will be trying to deal with the latest wave — and potential future variants — aware that its authority might be curbed. The Missouri General Assembly adopted legislation — which Gov. Mike Parson signed — that would give county commissions authority to review and modify health agency decisions.

The new Health Department administrator also will be working closely with the Gasconade County R-1 and R-2 school districts as they deal with the virus’ effects on the classrooms. And as county government leaders chafed under early health agency actions, so, too, do some local school board directors take issue with another health decision: Sending students into quarantine after being in close proximity to a classmate who tests positive.

In fact, Lara was given three specific questions related to quarantining of students to address at last week’s R-1 board session. School board members and some parents on hand were concerned that students were being placed in quarantine but never developing any symptoms of COVID-19.

While some directors were more diplomatic in their line of questioning, others were more direct in their criticism of the use of quarantine.

“It’s a violation on our kids’ education rights,” said Director Tim Schulte.

Lara explained that the county health department was only following the protocol set down by state and federal health agencies.