Kainuu welfare area council opens applications for permanent director position

The Kainuu welfare area’s regional council has decided to open applications for the position of permanent welfare area director. The application period begins at the end of August and will conclude on September 23, 2024, at 3 PM. The goal is to present a candidate selection to the council in October, with the official election scheduled for November 4.

Jukka Lindberg, the previous director of the Kainuu welfare area, announced his resignation in June 2024, citing a loss of confidence. Following this, the regional council convened on Monday and noted that a memorandum from a June 19, 2024, meeting between regional council chairpersons and Lindberg is considered an internal working document. This memorandum has been archived, and only the council can authorize its disclosure.

The council has authorized officials to provide information to Helsinki Sanomat and other requesting parties. While Yle has also sought this information, they are still awaiting a response. The council stated that the memorandum does not contain any confidential information and thus there are no barriers to its release. However, the situation has been complicated by the fact that welfare area officials had not previously had access to the document, delaying the evaluation for its potential release.

The regional council confirmed that there are no other documents or email discussions related to this meeting that fall under public disclosure regulations. Furthermore, they stated that any other related materials and discussions may be made public, provided that it does not conflict with public disclosure laws.