The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2026_03_19_BOH_Minutes_ExecutedREGULAR MEETING MINUTES Jefferson County Board of Health Thursday, March 19, 2026 @ 2:30 p.m. Jefferson County Courthouse — Commissioners' Chambers 1820 Jefferson Street, Port Townsend, WA Hybrid Meeting Board Members Greg Brotherton, County Commissioner, District #3 Heather Dudley-Nollette, County Commissioner, District #1 Celeste Dybeck, Tribal Representative Heidi Eisenhour, County Commissioner, District #2 Amanda Grace, Vice -Chair, Community Stakeholder Dr. Kees Kolff, Public Hospital District #2 Commissioner Monica MickHager, Chair, Port Townsend City Council Gabrielle Vanwert, Consumer of Public Health Staff Members Denise Banker, Community Health Director Dr. Allison Berry, Health Officer Lara Cittadini, CHIP Manager Michael Dawson, Water Quality Manager Carter Erickson, Environmental Health Manager Apple Martine, Public Health Director Pinky Mingo, Environmental Public Health Director Jenn Mitchell, Finance Manager Veronica Shaw, Public Health Deputy Director Chair MickHager called the March 19, 2026 meeting of the Jefferson County Board of Health to order at 2:31 p.m. Members Present: Chair MickHager, Members Greg Brotherton, Heather Dudley-Nollette, Heidi Eisenhour, Amanda Grace, Dr. Kees Kolff and Gabrielle Vanwert. Staff Present: Staff Members Denise Banker, Dr. Allison Berry, Michael Dawson, Carter Erickson, Apple Martine, Jenn Mitchell and Veronica Shaw. PUBLIC COMMENT Chair MickHager called for public comment. Commenter reported that the community has contributed $24,275.37 to the Friends of Public Health Fund since its launch in December 2025, with $19,108.94 already passed through to Public Health and another $5,166.43 raised since. With many people losing or dropping ACA insurance coverage, this funding will play an increasingly important role in supporting local clinics and charity care. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Chair MickHager called for a motion to accept the agenda for March 19, 2026. MOTION: Member Dudley-Nollette moved to approve the agenda. Member Grace seconded the motion, which carried by a unanimous vote. Respectfully submitted Page 1 of 4 G. Gilbert APPROVAL OF MINUTES Chair MickHager requested a motion to approve the minutes of the February 19, 2026 meeting. MOTION: Member Eisenhour moved to approve the minutes. Member Grace seconded the motion, which carried by a unanimous vote. OLD BUSINESS AND INFORMATIONAL ITEMS 1. Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) Report Staff member Martine shared good news that five accessibility -focused projects across East Jefferson County were awarded nearly their full $32,000 request from the Governor's Commission for Disability Issues and Employment. This success reflects the strong coordination of the Accessible Community Advisory Committee (ACAC) and its partners. The remodel of the Blue Heron School -Based Health Center is fully funded in the legislative budget, allowing the permanent clinic to open as early as October or November. Also, good news includes the passage of HB 2442, which creates new county -level funding options —outside the usual 1% cap —to support public health services and potentially generate significant revenue for Jefferson County. Public Health is also preparing for a major presence at the upcoming Connectivity Summit, featuring youth engagement, interactive exhibits, and community -focused data tools. 2. Jefferson Healthcare Report Dr. Kolff reported that key healthcare bills passed in the state legislature: 5981 protecting essential 340B funding for rural communities, and another (ESSB 5845) requiring insurers to pay 100% of clean claims within 30 days to reduce harmful payment delays. Bloodworks Northwest will return for donations on May 6, underscoring the ongoing need for a strong local blood supply. Finally, Jefferson Healthcare and Public Health have begun productive conversations about deeper collaboration on CHA/CHIP efforts. 3. Infectious Diseases Update According to Dr. Berry, it was a mild winter for respiratory illness with COVID less severe than in previous years, flu activity finally declining, and RSV causing fewer hospital surges thanks to effective vaccines though it is lingering longer than usual. Babies and older adults remain the groups at highest risk for RSV, and highly effective preventive options are widely available. Measles continues to spread nationally, especially in South Carolina and Utah. The recent outbreak in Snohomish County was contained due to high school vaccination rates in schools. Jefferson County is preparing proactively —working with schools, healthcare partners, and EMS to raise vaccination rates and reduce barriers —while encouraging families traveling to hotspot states to ensure children, including infants eligible for early vaccination, are protected. In response to a question about federal attempts to change the vaccination schedule for young children, Dr. Berry said that state and county health officials plan to continue issuing evidence -based vaccine recommendations, coordinating with other states and the Vaccine Integrity Project to ensure guidance remains grounded in strong data. A concern exists that federal control over vaccine distribution and FDA approvals could slow access or limit availability, so local teams are preparing for potential disruptions while working to keep families well-informed amid changing national policies. 4. Legislative Update & Debrief on PH Legislative Day on the Hill This subject was covered in previous reports. Respectfully submitted Page 2 of 4 G. Gilbert NEW BUSINESS 1. Overview of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (PHEPR) Program and Preparedness Plan for 2026-28 JCPH staff ocean mason and Lara Gaasland-Tatro provided a presentation concerning staff efforts to develop response plans, support internal safety efforts, and run trainings and tabletop exercises to ensure that other departments can function effectively during crises. They work closely with the county Department of Emergency Management, the state Office of Resiliency and Health Security, and well-resourced partner counties to share plans and strengthen regional readiness for severe weather hazards, power outages, earthquakes, etc. Each year they create a state -guided Integrated Preparedness Plan that maps out priorities for the coming year and outlines multi -year goals, helping the department continually improve areas like emergency communications and plan updates. Discussion ensued. 2. Update regarding Community Health Fee Setting Procedures JCPH Community Health Director Denise Banker led a discussion of the on -going development of the plan for setting clinical fees. Once JCPH Community Health and Finance departments have completed cost analysis, an internal committee will review costs alongside regional comparable fees to set updated service charges using a calculated mean. The new fees, and a sliding fee scale, will be shared with the Board of Health and then approved by resolution. It was recommended that members of the public who are concerned by clinic fees should discuss options with the trained staff at the clinic front desk 3. [POSSIBLE ACTION] Foundational Public Health Services: Update and Resolution The Board of Health reviewed a resolution affirming Jefferson County's strong support for Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS), for which the state legislature only provided reduced funding in the final budget. Although the legislative session ended, board members emphasized the resolution's value as a public statement and as groundwork for year-round advocacy ahead of the next session. The discussion highlighted how FPHS dollars support numerous essential programs, and clarified that while funding was reduced by $29 million, it was not fully eliminated and remains intact through fiscal year 2026. Board members agreed that this setback underscores the need for sustained, proactive communication with state partners to protect future public health funding. And though the current legislative session ended, the budget may not yet have been signed by the governor. It was discussed that it might be effective to approve the resolution and forward it to the governor for his consideration. MOTION: Member Dudley-Nolette moved to approve a resolution of the Jefferson County Board of Health regarding Foundational Public Health Services funding. Member Eisenhour seconded the motion, which carried by a unanimous vote. MOTION: Member Kolff moved to that we send this resolution to the governor, and the legislators, if the governor has not yet signed the bill. Member Grace seconded the motion, which carried by a unanimous vote. FUTURE POTENTIAL AGENDA TOPICS Chair MickHager recommended continuation of the discussion of FPHS funding at the next meeting. Clerk of the Board announced that a portion of April's meeting will be the presentation of the Board's/Public Health's Public Heroes Awards. Member Eisenhour recommended an "unpacking" of Legislative Bill 2442 at a future meeting. ANNOUNCEMENTS Member Dudley-Nollette clarified the dates of the Connectivity Summit as March 27, 28 and 29. Respectfully submitted Page 3 of 4 G. Gilbert AGENDA PLANNING CALENDAR The Agenda Planning Meeting for the next regular meeting of the Board will be held on April 9, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. The next regular Board of Health meeting will be held as a hybrid meeting on Thursday, April 16, 2026 from 2:30 p.m. — 4:30 p.m. ADJOURNMENT Chair MickHager adjourned the March 19, 2026 Jefferson County Board of Health meeting at 4:26 p.m. until the next Regular Meeting or Special Meeting as properly noticed. JV,KERSON CPUN 0AA EALTH Monica MickHager, Chair Glenn Gilbert, Public Health Assistant Respectfully submitted Page 4 of 4 G. Gilbert