But the future of the building has yet to be decided. The board indicated the rest of Tidelands' services would go out to bid in about 18 months. Later that week, the Tidelands board voted to give 90 days notice of terminating its remaining contract with the regional board. Executive staff and several board members said Tidelands staff and patients would be better served by another entity taking over all at once, rather than gradually dismantling Tidelands. Meanwhile, Tidelands front-line staffers, those who see patients, will become Gateway employees and keep the same pay and most of the same benefits.
Management is a different story.
Surely they won't all be released. A new board will add six Chatham County representatives and two from Effingham to the eight-member Gateway community service board. The changes at Tidelands need to take place quickly. The Tidelands board informed the regional board that it will be unable to operate financially past about mid-March. While the merger of services is permanent, all other contracts awarded by the regional board go out for bid for the new fiscal year, which begins July 1.