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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003/12/18 - Board of HealthBOARD OF HEALTH PROCEEDINGS December 18, 2003 Chairperson Commissioner Jayni Kamin called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. Attendance: Crnnn. Dist. 1, Herb Baze; Cmmr. Dist. 2, Wes Johnson; Cmmr. Dist. 3, Jayni Kamin. ATTENDANCE Dr. Mark Trucksess, Health Officer Steve Kutz, Department of Health Director Debbie Riley, Environmental Health Director Rebecca Wells, Mason County Journal, Reporter Kim Lincoln, Environmental Health Specialist Ginny Tauscher, Public Health Nurse CORRESPONDENCE None APPROVAL OF MINUTES None ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES HEALTH OFFICER'S REPORT: Dr. Trucksess, Health Officer reported for November, 2003 Communicable Diseases as three cases of Giardia and one case of Salmonella, six new cases of Chronic Hepatitis C, one case of Hepatitis B and ten Positive PPD's. There were ten new people started on Latent Therapy. There was one new person started on Latent Therapy. The STD reported for November 2003 five cases of Chlamydia and one case of Gonorrhea. Steve Kutz Health Department Director presented the core document of the Health Services emergency response plan. This plan is not for public disclosure. The document is about 400 pages long. The plan discusses the procedures that the Health Department would follow if there were a bio-terrorism event or a severe earthquake. Mr. Kutz stated there was a bio-terrorism event in Oregon, where a group of people, were spraying salmonella poisoning on salad bars to make people to ill to vote. Mr. Kutz is requesting the Commissioners to approve the Mason County Department of Health Services Emergency Response Plan. Cmmr Baze asked Mr. Kutz if there is a secondary copy that would be presented to the public. Mr. Kutz stated that the project is coordinated with the Emergency Management Department and they do have a document that is available to the public for emergency preparedness. Mr. Kutz stated the document being presented is not for public disclosure. Steve stated the public should be referred to Ms. Sandi Loertscher at Emergency Services or himself if someone is asking for a copy of the emergency response plan. Cmmr Johnson is asking if there is a draft of the emergency response plan for public or could there be a draft made to be given to the public. Mr. Kutz stated that he could give a copy of the core document to the public to show that there is a plan in place, because the core document doesn't state the details of the plan that are confidential. Cmmr Kamin stated that after looking over the core document she felt it would be a good document to give to the public because it didn't have the confidential information. Cmmr. Kamin asked if the emergency management are doing drills and practicing the plan. Mr. Kutz stated drills with all the people involved in the plan would be practiced in 2004. Cmmr. Baze/Johnson moved and seconded to approve and sign the Mason County Department of Health Services Emergency Response Plan. Motion carried unanimously. B-aye; J-aye; K-aye BOARD OF HEALTH PROCEEDINGS December 18, 2003 - PAGE 2 Mr. Kutz introduced a new Department of Health staff member Ms. Ginny Tauscher, Public Health Nurse. She works directly with the communicable disease program. Mr. Kutz stated that the communicable disease is an important part of the new emergency plan. Mr. Kutz asked the Commissioners to look at the Board of Health meetings for the year 2004. The January 8th meeting was cancelled. Mr. Kutz stated the February meeting would be a critical meeting because the Solid Waste Ordinance needs to be adopted for the county. Cmmr. Johnson announced he would not be available the first Thursday in February. Mr. Kutz stated the Ordinance needed to be adopted by February 11, 2004 and asked that the February meeting be changed to February 3, 2004. This meeting would take place directly after the Commissioners regular Board meeting. Ms. Riley Environmental Health Manager stated the Depailunent of Ecology has new Solid Waste Regulations that the County has to adopt prior to February 11, 2004. Ms. Riley stated the Ordinance needs to be codified by the Board of County Commissioners and adopted in the Board of Health meeting. PERSONAL HEALTH ISSUES Mr. Kutz stated that Smile Savers program, which is the local non-profit Dentist service, is in severe fmancial trouble. The Smile Savers Board had made a decision to stop the schools program March 31, 2004. The school program is where the dental services are located in a van and it travels to each school in the state and does exams, sealents and fluoride treatments for children. The other Board decision is to close all of there clinics, one of which is here in Mason County.. Mr. Kutz stated Medicaid changed their billing procedures, which was significant amount of revenue lost. The Smile Savers here in Mason County have new equipment purchased with grant dollars, a lease to maintain and staff that has been notified employment would end. Mr. Kutz stated he had contacted the local Oral Health Coalition to arrange a stakeholder meeting to attempt is save or come up with a plan to continue services here locally. The emergency stakeholder meeting is being held in the evening at Evergreen School.. Mr. Kutz stated that with the Medicaid reform it changed their billing procedures, which resulted in a significant amount of revenue lost for the Smile Saver program. Cmmr. Baze requested that Mr. Kutz keep the Commissioners informed of the outcome of the stakeholder meeting and any new information that may be presented. Mr. Kutz stated that Smile Savers are interested if they can find someone to transition the equipment to that will serve the low income. They don't want to see the services lost for the children in the County. ENVIROMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES Ms. Riley presented the Environmental Health top ten list for 2003. She had prepared a power point presentation but the projector was in use by Ms. Kim Lincoln. Ms. Riley provided a copy of her presentation and reviewed the department successes and stated her department is always working for a safer and healthier Mason County. Ms. Kim Lincoln Environmental Health Specialist presented a power point presentation on the Lower Hood Canal Pollution Identification Project. The complete presentation is on file with Environmental Health Depai lnnent. Ms. Lincoln presented photos and statistics for the North Shore area comparing her research from what the past was to what the present situation is now. Cmmr. Kamin asked Ms. Lincoln if she had examples of other counties clean water district format. BOARD OF HEALTH PROCEEDINGS December 18, 2003 - PAGE 3 Ms. Lincoln stated that Mason County has a clean water district format which still exists. She stated it was never abolished in the county. The county just stopped collecting the money to fund them. It is a way that the State Law gives the counties to deal with the shellfish growing areas that would have classified as prohibited. This is a way to fund projects. The clean water district is a method to have the people who use the resource pay for protecting it. The money that people are paying for an onsite peulut does not cover the money needed to protect the shellfish growing areas. Cmmr. Baze thanked Kim for her presentation and thanked her for giving the Commissioners a better understanding of the problems that exist in the North Shore area. Ms. Lincoln thanked the Commissioners for their support in supporting her program and projects and stated that they helped her projects be successful. Ms. Riley stated Ms. Lincoln was leaving the county at the end of this month to work as a shellfish lead for the Department of Health. ENVIROMENTAL HEALTH WAIVERS/VARIANCES The waivers/variances are provided for information only. Submitted to the Board by Environmental Health Director, Debbie Riley PUBLIC COMMENT Ms. Constance Ibson questioned the normal process of the variances. Cmmr Baze stated the Health Department approves the variances then presents them to the Commissioners for review. Ms. Ibson asked if there was a public process to review the variances that are being requested. Cmmr. Baze stated the variances are not for the public to review. Ms. Ibson stated she had publicly testified for a building variance case. Ms. Ibson stated she would provide the Commissioners copies of her public testimony. She also felt there was a lack of coordination regarding the Shoreline. Ms. Ibson stated the waiver for the septic is approved then a variance is requested for an addition to the home. She felt there should be a better process to coordinate the septic and building addition variance process. She stated she would make copies of the case she is referring to for the Commissioners see the lack of coordination in the process between the Planning Department and the Environmental Health Department. Ms. Ibson also commented on clean water districts. She questioned if they were just for shellfish growing areas. Ms. Riley stated that it is not just for shellfish growing areas and it does include other areas. Ms. Ibson stated there needs to be real accountability to the public for what their tax dollars are paying for. She stated she was an officer of the Lower Hood Canal Watershed Implementation Committee. She stated that she was not part of the committee when the tax dollars were assessed for the Lower Hood Canal Clean Water District. She stated she has been very frustrated working with her committee because she has been unable to explain to the residents in the Lower Hood Canal Watershed Clean Water District where there tax dollars have been spent Mr. Kutz commented on the Ms. Ibson's complaint. He stated it is frustrating to hear her complaints regarding the Clean Water Districts. Mr. Kutz stated he was not working for Mason County when they were first setup but he does know the background. He stated that the Clean Water Districts went and looked at all the homes in the Lower Hood Canal that had not had anything done to them since they had come into existence. Mr. Kutz stated that many houses were tested and many failures were taken care of which led to shellfish beds to be reopened. Mr. Kutz stated that education had to be done for people who own a septic system on the shoreline. He also stated that an operating and maintenance (O&M) program is the best way to monitor that a system is working but it is no guarantee. BOARD OF HEALTH PROCEEDINGS December 18, 2003 - PAGE 4 Cmmr Johnson asked if an O&M system would distinguish between a working system and a treating system. Mr. Kutz stated that all an O&M program looks at is the system to insure it is functioning but does not identify that a system is treating affluent. The program tells if the system is collapsed or blocked. There are many of the old systems that can only be tested for operation by performing a dye test. The only way dye can be used is if you are near water. Mr. Kutz stated that dye testing couldn't be used in a large group because there is no way to tell where the dye is coming from. Cmmr Baze asked Mr. Kutz to address the waiver process. Mr. Kutz stated that the Health Department, staff don't accept or authorize variance waivers. After a person applies for a waiver the facts and regulations are presented to the Health Officer who have been reviewing them for many years. The decision is made after a thorough review. Mr. Kutz stated the decisions are not always perfect. Mr. Kutz stated that if a person puts in a waiver for repair that is tied to a building project usually there is some coordination between the departments if there issues of mutual concern. He will look at the concerns Ms. Ibson had because if there are a way information is not being coordinated then he would address it. Ms. Riley stated there is two types of waivers for onsite reductions or changes. One goes to the State and the other stays here with the Health Department. She stated that there are criteria's that decide where the application is filed. Cmmr. Baze stated that these are not just waivers they are mitigations. Ms. Riley stated that Commissioner Baze was correct they are mitigations. Mr. Kutz stated that just because someone requests a waiver it doesn't mean one will be granted. Dr. Trucksess does deny waivers when it is appropriate. ADJOURNED The meeting adjourned due to no further business. HEALTH OFFICER Dr. Mark Trucksess, Health Of lc BOARD OF HEALTH MASON COUNTY, WASHINGTON Wesley E. ohns Commissioner , ner Herb Baze, Commissioner