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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04 April COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING VITAL STATISTICS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HEALTH EDUCATION 802 SHERIDAN PORT TOWNSEND, WASH. 98368 (206) 385-0722 HEALTH BOARD Minutes: April 16, 1991 BOARD MEMBERS: STAFF MEMBERS: B. G. Brown, Chainnan Larry W. Dennison, Member Richard E. Wojt, Member Larry Fay, Director of Environmental Health David Specter, Health Administrator Nancy Gow, Acting Director of Nursing Services J. Peter Geerlofs, M. D., Health Officer CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND REPRESENTATIVE: Sheila Westennan The meeting was called to order at the appointed time by Chainnan B.G. Brown. The following Board and staff members were present: Commissioner Richard Wojt; David Specter; Larry Fay and Nancy Gow. Commissioner Dennison was in Olympia testifying before the Legislature. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Commissioner Wojt moved to approve the Minutes of March 19, 1991 as corrected and Chainnan Brown seconded the motion which carried by unanimous vote. Health Board Minutes . April 16, 1991 Page: 2 SEOUIM SLUDGE UTILIZATION PERMIT APPLICATION: Several interested citizens were present for the final decision on this permit application. George Mason, an attomey representing the City of Sequim; Public Works Director Bob Wheeler, representing the City of Port Townsend; Environmental Health Specialist Linda Atkins and Water Quality Coordinator Pat Rubida were also present. Health Department Environmental Technician Marel Harstad gave a brief synopsis of the application explaining the location and ownership of the site, the ground water, lakes and creeks in the area and the type of soils and topography. The process of hauling and applying the sludge, the capacity of the land and the monitoring procedures were also explained. Protect the Peninsula and the Department of Energy are both in favor of this application for utilization rather than disposal of the sludge. George Mason explained that Sequim disposes of sludge everyday, the annual amount is about 80,000 tons. The city has a temporary site nearby and is making application to Clallam County to create a permanent site there. They also have in place a backup system to allow for seasonal weather. Julie Jaman presented a letter from the Olympic Environment Council and the Jefferson County Watershed Council. The items these organizations are concerned about are: . Surface and ground water monitoring . Written quarterly reports -- to be turned in within 30 days after monitoring and to include a penalty if they are not received in a timely manner . Maps with ground flagging and records kept to show how much sludge is distributed at each spot . Sludge being placed in the area when the ground is frozen or there is snow Bob Wheeler explained that the City of Port Townsend is concerned about what they will do with their sludge in the future and are strongly in favor of sludge utilization. Pat Rubida noted that monitoring is important. Part of the area falls in the Ludlow watershed. There is an environmental group that may be involved at some point, that is working on a plan for this watershed. Environmental Health Director Larry Fay explained that this is a yearly permit. The Health Department has the authority to revoke the permit if the conditions of the approval are not met. At present there is no ordinance that allows the imposition of fines as a form of enforcement. The current users of the area have a exemplary record of monitoring. Commissioner Wojt moved to approve the Sequim Sludge Utilization Permit. Chairman Brown seconded the motion which was approved by a unanimous vote. ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT Financial Rellort: David Specter presented the current financial report. He explained the Department is serving more clients, therefore it is collecting more fees. Health Board Minutes - April 16, 1991 Page: 3 Administrator's ReDort - continued David Specter has concerns about outgoing money for supplies on order that haven't been received. Each program manager has their own method of budgeting. David explained that there is a computer program to help monitor the budget in a more uniform manner throughout the department. There was a discussion about whether it would be an advantage to have a parallel budget program. Grant Prol!l'am UDdate: David Specter updated the Board on the following grants: . The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant application was turned down because they had spent millions of dollars in the area already and they didn't want to commit more money. . The Dental Program grant has been approved. There are some changes from previous years and the details will be available soon. . Interagency Coordinating Council funding is focusing on development of individualized family service plans and case management this year. . The Birth to Three Project serves children at risk with developmental disabilities. They work with the schools on this and are putting the proposal before the School Board for funding. This program is "fee for service" funding for physical and occupational therapy. Actine Director of Nursine Position: Nancy Gow has agreed to continue in this position until August because of other personnel transitions in the Department. Staff Retreat: The Health Department Staff Retreat will be April 19 at Fort Worden, and will be the first step in the strategic planning process. Stratel!ic Plan: David Specter gave each of the Board members a copy of a nationally produced strategy, Assessment Protocol for Excellence in Public Health. He wants to use this book as a model to evaluate and improve the Health Department. He asked the Board to take the time to review it. Nancy Gow explained that future funding would depend more and more on assessment of public needs, which is a portion of this strategy. Castle Hill Mall: David Specter asked for an update on leasing and renovating a part of the Castle Hill Mall for the Health Department. A brief discussion followed. The space needs of the department are a serious problem. Short term needs may have to be met if negotiations are stalled. Health Board Minutes - February 12, 1991 Page: 4 DIRECTOR OF NURSING REPORT Increased Caseload for WIC: The State assigns the number of cases for the Women, Infants and Children program for each county. At this time Jefferson County is approved for 260 cases and has been notified that this can be increased by 40, 50 or 60 slots. There was a discussion about this possible increase in caseloads and the effect it would have on staff, office and record space. The Department is recommending an increase of 60 slots. The staffing would have to be increased in the nutrition area. Commissioner Wojt made a motion to increase the proposed number of cases from 260 to 320 and to approve the necessary increase in staffing. Chairman Brown seconded the motion which carried by a unanimous vote. * * :+: :+: * :+: * The next regular meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 1991. MEETING ADJOURNED JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH ~ B. G. Brown, Chairman Richard E. Wojt, Member