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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998/07/02 - Board of HealthMason County Board of Health Meeting July 2, 1998 Page 1 of 5 MASON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH JULY 2, 1998 The Mason County Board of Health was called to order at 10:02 a.m. by Chairperson Cindy Olsen with Board Member John Bolender present and Board Member Mary Jo Cady absent. ATTENDANCE: Cindy Olsen, Chairperson John Bolender, Board Member Brad Banner, Director Health Services Steve Kutz, Personal Health Director Diane Crabtree, Public Health Nurse Mary Duncan, Reporter, Mason County Journal Nancy Plews, Clerk Sonja Rau, Transcriptionist CORRESPONDENCE: None APPROVAL OF MINUTES: John Bolender moved for approval of the October 9' (1997) and May 22"d (1998) (Jensen) Appeal Hearing minutes as transcribed. Cindy Olsen seconded. Bolender, Aye; Olsen, Aye; Cady, absent. John Bolender moved for approval of May 7t' (1998) Board of Health Meeting Minutes as presented and the June 4, (1998) as corrected. Cindy Olsen seconded. Bolender, Aye; Olsen, Aye; Cady, absent. PERSONAL HEALTH: OUTSTANDING PREVENTIVE THERAPY PROGRAM Steve Kutz introduced Diane Crabtree to the Board of Health. Diane oversees the TB program and received a Certificate of Achievement from the Washington State Department of Health for running an outstanding preventive therapy program in 1997 and the County TB program. Steve explained the two phases of the TB program to the Board. Phase One is identification of positive TB skin tests and preventative therapy to keep them from getting active TB. The Second Phase is identification of people who are sick with TB and who go on curative therapy which is done at the Health Department. Have seen increase in cases in the past year. REVIEW OF MARY BRIDGE NEURODEVELOPMENTAL OUTREACH CLINIC Steve Kutz introduced Diane Crabtree to give update. The Outreach Clinic was started in 1997 with Dr. Tripp as a Neurodevelopmental Pediatrician coming to Shelton once every couple of Mason County Board of Health Meeting July 2, 1998 Page 2 of 5 months to see children who had developmental disabilities (behavior problems). The children were between the ages of birth and 10 years of age. During that time, Dr. Tripp, has seen 49 patients, with 38 new clients. There was 20% no-show rate of those that were set to come in for an appointment, which is pretty average for doctors in general. A letter is sent a week before the appointment and then a call is made the night before to remind them. The children were divided into two categories: (1) behavior and (2) developmental disabilities. 41 % of those children were behavior and 59 % were primarily developmental delay diagnosis. Some of these children had both. There is a follow-up after these clients see Dr. Tripp to make sure they have everything they need and to assist them in getting services Dr. Tripp feels they need. SET PUBLIC HEARING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH FEES Steve Kutz, requested a hearing to set Public Health Fees due to a change in the reimbursement rate by DSHS and inflexibility of fees as set by the Health Department. John Bolender asked that the public hearing be set for September. John Bolender moved for a public hearing on September 3, 1998 to consider changes in Personal Health Fees Schedule. Cindy Olsen, seconded. Bolender, Aye; Olsen, Aye; Cady, absent. A time was set for 10:30 a.m September 3, 1998. John Bolender moved that the hearing for September 3, 1998 be scheduled at 10:15 a.m.. Bolender, Aye; Olsen, Aye; Cady, absent. HEALTH OFFICER'S REPORT: The Health Officer's Report was presented by Steve Kutz, Dr. Trucksess was absent. Communicable Disease Report for May and June: May: One campylobacter case. One rash investigation case. (The goal in rash investigation cases is to rule out measles or rubella. This particular case turned out to be fifth disease.) Eight chlamydia cases. Two herpes cases. Two itinerant cases of active TB. June: One outbreak of diarrhea in assisted living facility. Suspected viral. One campylobacter case. STD numbers for June not available. One active bladder TB case. Only 10% of active TB's are found outside the lungs. Mason County Board of Health Meeting July 2, 1998 Page 3 of 5 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES: PUBLIC HEARING FOR SOLID WASTE REGULATIONS: Brad Banner requested a date be set for a public hearing on the Solid Waste Regulations. Proposed revisions would incorporate provisions for regulating bio-solids facilities, which are no longer considered solid waste, and would allow Department to give those facilities some oversight. This would also coincide with the Washington Department of Ecology on accepting delegation of those sites. Provisions would also allow us to issue citations for infractions. Copies of these changes were passed out by Brad Banner. Brad explained that there is difficulty with solid waste enforcement. Currently, they rely on Prosecutor's Office to follow-up when the Health Department is unable to get correction of these cleaning ups at the dump and such. The problem is that the Prosecutor's Office is extremely busy and these are low priority cases. The proposed changes are based on Kitsap County and what they have done and what has worked successfully there, also Thurston County has these provisions. Will try and resolve the issues by education and persuasion, if these don't work then tickets will be written and they will go to District Court to resolve them. Have many cases that are many years old because no recourse to resolve them. John Bolender moved for a Public Hearing on August 6t`', 1998 at 10:15 a.m. to consider revision to the Solid Waste Regulations. Cindy Olsen, seconded. Bolender, Aye; Olsen, Aye; Cady, absent. POLICY CHANGE CONCERNING USE OF CHEMICAL TOILETS: Brad Banner asked that a change be considered for portable chemical toilets permits of no permits required. This would eliminate the permits as Department unable to keep track of these. There have been no issue with these for a number of years. John Bolender moved for the approval of revision for the policy on alternatives for permitting chemical toilets use on recreational sites as proposed. Cindy Olsen, seconded. Bolender, Aye; Olsen, Aye. REVISE ON -SITE PERMIT APPLICATION PROCESS AND SEWAGE CONTRACTOR APPLICATIONS: Brad Banner proposed a revision of on -site permit application process and sewage contractor applications. He proposed the elimination of level one designer certification. Septic designs and test holes are required as a condition for septic permit applications for over the counter. Would like to have test holes already evaluated by the designer and the design attached to the septic application. Mason County Board of Health Meeting July 2, 1998 Page 4 of 5 This would be a significant change in the process. Currently the customer digs test holes and applies for permit. Environmental Health inspects the site and scores the site to determine what the designer level would be. The customer then chooses the designer based on which level of designer the Department specified. The designer then designs the system based on the soil logs and the slope measurements the Environmental Health staff did when they first visited the site. Designs can come in 3 years after the staff visits the site. Under the new system the Environmental Staff would go to the site and have the design to look at, the layout of the design would be staked out, would be able to cross check the designers soil logs, and much more effectively see if that is a good system or not. The customer would benefit in several ways and it would be less costly for them. The permit process would be faster, and the staff would make less trips to the site. The benefit for the septic designer would be more control over the design and working more as a partner with the Health Department Staff. It would be faster service in processing the permits. We would plan to implement this at the beginning of the year and in the interim we would do some training for the staff and designers, and also give the designers a chance to upgrade to level two. We are proposing one free of cost re -inspection. John Bolender asked if the Realtors have been asked for their opinion on the proposed change. This was taken to the On -Site Advisory Committee and the invited public was invited to attend, which included the Realtors. The general agreement was that the change was a good idea. Brad stated that a workshop was also held with much input by those attending. This was next taken to the Advisory Committee and they suggested these proposed changes be made but with certain understandings. These understandings are: (1) An openness by the Department Staff in viewing the designs and a good working relationship. (2) Assistance with both soils and level two certifications upgrades. (3) Do the one re -inspection for free to take off the burden of extra cost for the re -inspection. John Bolender moved for the approval of the onsite application process as purposed. Cindy Olsen seconded. Bolender, Aye; Olsen, Aye; Cady, Absent. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH WAIVERS: Waivers were submitted by Brad Banner for review. OTHER BUSINESS: Brad Banner presented some renewal's for the On -Site Sewage Advisory Committee. Renewal requests from: Bill Taylor who represents the Puget Sound Oysters Growers Association, Dick Ynnker who represents Level Two Designers Ralph Wingert who represents the Mason County Board of Realtors. Warren Dawes who represents the Totten Watershed. Mason County Board of Health Meeting July 2, 1998 Page 5 of 5 Brad Banner requested that they be appointed for 3 years. John Bolender moved for reappointment of the following people to the On -Site Advisory Committee for a 3-year term, effective July lst. - Bill Taylor, Puget Sound Oysters Growers Association; Dick Yunker, Designer; Ralph Wingert, Board of Realtors; Warren Dawes, Totten Shores Watershed. Cindy Olsen seconded. Bolender, Aye; Olsen, Aye; Cady, Absent. Meeting was adjourned by Chairperson Cindy Olsen at 10:48 a.m.. Respectfully submitted by: - Sonj . . Rau, Transcriptionist Cindy isen, Chairperson John Bolender, Board Member _n Mary Jo Cady, Board Member