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Home My WebLink AboutM071521 II �erhson Public He% MINUTES Jefferson County Board of Health Regular Meeting, July 15, 2021, 2:30 p.m. Jefferson County Public Health, 615 Sheridan Street, Port Townsend WA 98368 Virtual Meeting Board Members Staff Members Pamela Adams,Port Townsend City Council Michael Dawson,Water Quality Manager Greg Brotherton,County Commissioner,District#3 Alisa Hasbrouck,Environmental Health Manager Kate Dean,Chair,County Commissioner District#1 Vicki Kirkpatrick,Public Health Director Heidi Eisenhour,County Commissioner,District#2 Dr.Thomas Locke,Health Officer Kees Kolff,Public Hospital District#2 Commissioner Apple Martine,Community Health Director Denis Stearns,Vice Chair,Citizen at large Pinky Mingo,Environmental Public Health Director Sheila Westerman,Citizen at large Veronica Shaw,Public Health Deputy Director Chair Dean called the July 15,2021 virtual meeting of the Jefferson County Board of Health to order at 2:30 p.m. A quorum was present. Members Present: Chair Kate Dean,Commissioner Greg Brotherton,Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour,Member Pamela Adams,Member Denis Stearns,Member Kees Kolff and Member Sheila Westerman. Staff Present: Public Health Officer Dr.Allison Berry,Deputy Public Health Officer Dr.Thomas Locke, Public Health Director Vicki Kirkpatrick,Public Health Deputy Director Veronica Shaw,Community Health Director Apple Martine, Water Quality Manager Michael Dawson,Environmental Public Health Director Pinky Mingo,Environmental Health Manager Alisa Hasbrouck,Environmental Health Specialist Linda Atkins. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Chair Dean requested a motion to approve the agenda as amended(with the addition of discussion of return to in-person meetings)for July 15,2021. MOTION: Member Kolff moved to approve the agenda. Member Eisenhour seconded the motion which carried li by a unanimous vote. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Regular Chair Dean requested approval of the minutes for the June 17,2021Meeting. MOTION: Member Eisenhour moved to approve the minutes as presented.Member Kolff seconded the motion which carried by a unanimous vote. Respectfully submitted Page 1 of 3 G.Gilbert PUBLIC COMMENT Board of Health Clerk Gilbert reported there were six public comments received. Chair Dean requested a link to public comments in the future,preferably a link in the agenda. Members of public in attendance-Julia Cochrane: proposed Board acknowledgment of housing crisis/evictions as a public health crisis. Member Kolff proposed adding housing crisis to future agenda. Discussion followed. OLD BUSINESS AND INFORMATIONAL ITEMS 1. Jefferson Healthcare Update Member Kolff addressed staffing for small healthcare systems and thanked John Nowak for his work on the Community Health Improvement Plan and congratulated him on his retirement. 2. Jefferson County Public Health Program Reports Staff Member Kirkpatrick, soon to retire,announced Apple Martine has been selected to be the new Public Health Director. 3. Jefferson County Health Officer Directive of June 30,2021 Dr. Locke discussed masking strategies and the rescinding of the county mask mandate,and enumerated State and Federal mandates still in place. Member Brotherton queried about congregate settings. 4. Heat Related Deaths,Washington State Dr. Locke discussed the recent heat dome event with respect to its public health impacts, including local deaths. Discussion followed. 5. Public Health Care Worker Pandemic-Related Stress Dr. Locke provided the Board with a recent study on pandemic-related stress issues among public health workers. NEW BUSINESS 6. Public Hearing re: Environmental Health Fee Changes Cancelled Due to Lack of Public Notice. Request to Board to Call for Public Hearing on August 19,2021 Staff Member Mingo requested a motion for a public hearing at the August meeting. Member Eisenhour so moved. Member Brotherton seconded. Unanimous approval. 7. Health Officer Continuity of Services Planning Dr.Locke proposed a resolution appointing Dr.Allison Berry as Health Officer for Jefferson County. Dr. Locke will step down to the position of Deputy Health Officer. After discussion,Member Kolff moved to approve the appointment of Dr. Berry as the Jefferson County Health Officer and for Dr.Locke's appointment to be changed to Deputy Health Officer. Member Adams seconded the motion. Member Kolff was asked to amend motion to include the title of the Resolution. Member Kolff moved to adopt the Resolution which appoints Dr.Berry as the Public Health Officer for Jefferson County and makes Dr. Locke the Deputy Health Officer. Member Brotherton noted that it was requested that he state the title in the motion, so Member Kolff clarified his motion by reading the title of the resolution. Member Adams accepted the friendly amendment. After discussion,Chair Dean called for a vote on the motion;the motion carried by a unanimous vote. [RESOLUTION NO.41-21] The BoH welcomed Dr.Allison Berry and thanked Dr. Locke for his continued service. 8. Board of Health Resolution Regarding the Adult Use of Entheogenic Plants Dr. Locke discussed the challenges to decriminalizing psychedelics and their potential for therapeutic uses. Discussion ensued. Member Brotherton moved to approve RESOLUTION NO.38-21 re: Adult Use of Entheogenic Plants,with a small modification of changing"broader"to"broad" in the first resolve. Member Eisenhour seconded the motion. Chair Respectfully submitted Page 2 of 3 G.Gilbert Dean called for a vote on the motion. Board members Dean,Brotherton,Eisenhour, Kolff,Adams and Westerman voted in favor of the motion. Vice Chair Stearns voted against the motion. The motion carried. 9. Proposed EPH Policy—Set-backs to Wells or Surface Water Staff Member Mingo introduced Environmental Health Specialist Linda Atkins,who summarized the relevant public health aspect of the proposed policy. Following discussion,Member Brotherton moved to approve Environmental Health Policy 2021-02. Seconded by Member Kolff,the motion passed unanimously. 10. COVID Pandemic Update: Variants,Vaccinations,and Modeling Projections Dr. Locke: re recent increases in infection and hospitalization,presence of variants in Jefferson and Clallam counties, therapeutic use of antibodies, school opening and safety measures. The Board discussed these issues. 11. COVID-19 Testing Dr. Locke reported that Jefferson Healthcare now has the capacity to do PCR testing in house which will speed up turnaround time. He also reported that rapid antigen tests including home self-tests are becoming more prevalent and the Jefferson County Public Health was now using home self-tests for monitoring close contacts who are in quarantine. 12. Return to In-Person Meetings Dr. Locke stated the meeting room at the Health Department is not adequate in terms of size and ventilation. Discussion followed. Consensus to table discussion about a return to public meetings for several months and continue with virtual meetings. ACTIVITY UPDATE Member Eisenhour has been meeting with landowners in the Phase 1 Port Hadlock Sewer Boundary. Member Kolff will not be at the next BoH meeting. AGENDA PLANNING CALENDAR The next Board of Health meeting will be held online as a virtual meeting on Thursday,August 19,2021 from 2:30 p.m.— 4:30 p.m. Chair Dean enumerated agenda items: housing as a next public health issue,restructuring of the Board. ADJOURNMENT Vice Chair Stearns adjourned the July 15,2021 Jefferson County Board of Health meeting at 4:25 p.m.until the next Regular Meeting or Special Meeting as properly noticed. 1 JEFFER ON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH f� ) Kate ean, Chair Glenn Gilbert,Public Health Assistant Respectfully submitted Page 3 of 3 G.Gilbert