Ambulance supervisor placed on leave

The long-time director of West Side Community Ambulance has been placed on administrative leave and does not anticipate returning to the position.

Chuck Coelho, who started with the local ambulance as a part-time employee in 1981 and has managed the operation for about 17 years, said Monday that his employment status has not been finalized but confirmed he will not be back as director at West Side Ambulance.

The board of directors of the West Side Healthcare District, which operates the ambulance service, voted 2-1 in late December to present a list of options to Coelho, according to board President Rick Daniel.

Assistant Director Eric Watts will oversee operations on an acting basis until the situation is sorted out, Daniel commented.

Daniel said Monday that Coelho opted to be placed on paid administrative leave. Coelho told Mattos Newspapers that the options presented him included being placed on administrative leave, resignation or continuing to work as director under conditions which he found unacceptable.

Daniel said the decision followed an hours-long closed session of the board at its December meeting.

He said he could not elaborate on the details because of the confidentiality of personnel issues, but said the closed session discussion started with a report on a separate personnel matter.

“There was discussion in regard to that and discussion in regard to other matters that ultimately led us to taking the action that we did,” Daniel commented. “There was a course of action laid out with options that were presented to Chuck. He had a chance to think it over and advised me of his choice.”

Daniel said he expects the board to finalize a resolution to the situation at its Jan. 24 meeting.

Daniel said he and board member George Schmidt voted in favor of taking the personnel action.

Board member Diana Perry-Ceja cast the dissenting vote.

She said she stands firmly behind Coelho in the situation, and stated that the December board decision seemed to crop up out of nowhere.

“We were investigating one situation on one employee, and it all kind of turned around and went the other way for no apparent reason,” Perry-Ceja stated. “I was blown away by it, because that was not what our closed session meeting was supposed to be about.”

Perry-Ceja said she resigned her board seat last week as a result of the situation.

“As soon as I found out exactly what was happening, I was done,” she commented.

Board member Jeff Mello was in attendance at the meeting but abstained from participating due to a conflict of interest, Daniel said. Mello is Coelho’s son-in-law.

Board member Valerie Watts – the wife of Eric Watts – was not in attendance.

Coelho said the changes were initiated by the board, and told Mattos Newspapers he hopes to reach a separation agreement with the district. Coelho said he would like to semi-retire and work part-time.

He characterized the issue as a “different point of view on how to manage,” but declined to elaborate.

“I’m not happy with the way it came about,” Coelho reflected, adding that he wants a clean break from the district. “It is the best for me. I’m able to move on this way.”