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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOH minutes 042599MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH April 22, 1999 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Patsy L. Bateman 1 April 23, 1999 ORANGE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT: To enhance the quality of life, promote the health, and preserve the environment for all people in the Orange County community. THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH MET ON THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1999 AT THE CARR BUILDING CONFERENCE ROOM, IN HILLSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA. BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS PRESENT: Timothy Ives, Brenda Crowder-Gaines, Barry Jacobs, Barbara Chavious, Barry Adler, Rick Marinshaw, Melvin Hurston BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS ABSENT: Ron Cammarata, Beverly Foster, Jonathan Klein, Janet Southerland STAFF PRESENT: Rosemary Summers, Health Director; Ron Holdway, Environmental Health Division Director; Eileen Kugler, Personal Health Division Director; John Sauls, Animal Control Division Director; Cornelia Ramsey, Health Education; Patsy Bateman, Administrative Assistant GUESTS PRESENT: Buster Dellinger, Paul Weller (Well Drillers). I. CALL TO ORDER AND INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS Dr. Ives called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Rosemary Summers introduced the staff and guests present. The Board and guests toured the offices of Environmental Health. II. ACTION ITEMS - CONSENT A. APPROVE AGENDA (April 22, 1999) and MINUTES (March 25, 1999) The agenda of April 22, 1999 and the minutes of March 25, 1999 were approved. The motion to approve the items on the consent agenda as stated above was made by Brenda Crowder-Gaines, seconded by Barry Jacobs and carried without dissent. III. ACTION ITEMS - DECISION A. ADOPTION OF REVISED WELL RULES Ron Holdway presented the Board of Health with literature, drawings, and diagrams depicting typical well drilling in Orange County. Literature from “Basic Elements of Ground-Water Hydrology with Reference to Conditions in North Carolina” was presented as well. The circular was prepared in conjunction with the former N.C. Department of Natural Resources and Community Development. Rick Marinshaw questioned the need for the affidavit. The affidavit protects the County by letting the homeowner know that water 85 feet and less could be problematic. By signing the affidavit, the homeowner accepts responsibility for possibly having problematic water. Homeowners when selling their home must disclose any problems with the home, which includes well and septic problems. The Board has an obligation to the community to make sure they have clean water and good quality well equipment. Mr. Dellinger provided the Board of Health with a video depicting the process of a well being dug and how a well functions. Rick Marinshaw questioned the wording on (XX) drilled well definition, “any well constructed which extends” The word constructed should be removed. MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH April 22, 1999 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Patsy L. Bateman 2 April 23, 1999 Barbara Chavious asked if the new rules don’t pass, do we continue to operate under the current rules? Yes. The new rules if adopted would be to have 84 feet of casing (4 joints) or to line to that depth or have the property owner sign the affidavit. Ron Holdway stated that personally he felt 63 feet should be the minimum, but would agree with the ruling of the Board. The well drillers stated that there is good water at 75 to 80 feet. Mr. Dellinger stated that a well driller knows where the good water and bad water is if they are experienced. The well drillers would prefer to start the footage at 63 feet and over a period of one year assess how many wells were problematic. After one year, Environmental Health would be asked to do an assessment to see how many wells ended up having bad water because of the required depths. Melvin Hurston asked if the Environmental Health Division has the staff needed in order to do the assessment. At this time Environmental Health does not have the staff in which to do the assessment. The motion to adopt the affidavit, with approval from the County Attorney, and adopt the Revised Well Rules with a modification from 85 feet to 63 feet was made by Brenda Crowder-Gaines, seconded by Barbara Chavious and carried without dissent. Staff was asked to provide a report to the Board one year from the effective date of the rules of any problems encountered. B. REACH GRANT REACH is the Center for Disease Control (CDC) acronym for Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health. CDC will release a request for proposal in early May that requires a 14-day turn around for a letter of intent to be submitted. Approximately $10 million in FY 1999 will be made available for 30 projects to be funded in Phase I of a planned 5-year program. REACH is intended to help communities to mobilize and organize their resources in support of effective and sustainable programs, which will eliminate health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities. This will require commitment from 3 community groups, United Voices of Efland, La Inglesia, and Piedmont Health. There is a possibility of collaboration with Wake and Chatham counties, or with the CBPH counties. The motion to approve in principle the Orange County Health Department moving forward with the REACH Grant application was made by Barbara Chavious, seconded by Brenda Crowder-Gaines and carried without dissent. C. LEGISLATION IN CURRENT SESSION OF N.C. GENERAL ASSEMBLY Three bills introduced late were handed out to Board members. The Local Health Board Rules addresses concerns regarding the Adverse Public Health Condition and reinforces the Board’s rule-making authority. Regarding the Animal Waste Policy, the Board of County Commissioners requested from the Agriculture Extension office the number of waste lagoons in Orange County. The Safe Storage of Firearms bill makes the parent responsible for storage of firearms in the home when minors are involved. Barry Jacobs requested that the Health Director discuss Bills HB595 and HB329 with Ellie Kinnaird. The Orange County Board of Commissioners were asked to give their support of these two bills. MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH April 22, 1999 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Patsy L. Bateman 3 April 23, 1999 The motion to support the Bills for active support, to include Bill HB370 Funds to Stop Straight Piping and direct the Health Director to forward a letter of support to the Orange County legislative delegation on behalf of the Board of Health was made by Barbara Chavious, seconded by Brenda Crowder-Gaines and carried without dissent. D. RESOLUTION FOR CONSIDERATION BY FOUNDATION THROUGH TOBACCO SETTLEMENT The tobacco settlement was split into several parts, 25% of which is to go to a foundation that would make grants to tobacco-affected communities. The health community is trying to establish some common ground with the farmers affected by the settlement. The resolution suggests that the tobacco settlement should be jointly used by the agricultural community and public health. The motion to endorse the statement “Health, Poverty and Economic Development in Rural North Carolina” and forward the endorsement to the appropriate parties was made by Melvin Hurston, seconded by Barry Adler and carried without dissent. IV. DISCUSSION / REPORTS A. LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR BOARD MEMBERS The Board of County Commissioners will update the Board of Health as necessary. V. HEALTH DIRECTOR’S REPORT A. PUBLIC HEALTH MONTH ACTIVITY REPORT The Bike Rodeo on April 10th was well attended. Two hundred people had their blood pressure checked at Apple Chill on April 18th. Tim Ives recognized the good work of Louise Echols. Dental Health kicked off their 20th Year Anniversary on April 16th and the event was well attended. At the celebration, the Board of Health presented Dr. Sandler and the Dental Division a plaque of appreciation. The Orange County Dental Health program is one of 44 in the state of North Carolina. The Orange County Dental Health Clinic has served and is still serving as the model program for other counties. B. HEALTH CHOICE UPDATE Hope For Kids conducted a door to door campaign in Orange County last weekend targeting neighborhoods with lower incomes to try and reach 2500 households. The Health Department provided them with the new Health Choice brochures and with some Spanish two-sided flyers as well as other child care and child health service information. The Orange County brochure has been translated into Spanish and is at the printers. Statistics show that Orange County is at 68% now in reaching eligibles. MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH April 22, 1999 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Patsy L. Bateman 4 April 23, 1999 C. POSITION AND BUDGET UPDATE The Environmental Health Specialist, Healthy Carolinians Coordinator and Health Education Project Manager positions will be forwarded to the Commissioners. The Healthy Carolinians Coordinator is being forwarded with a recommended 50% general fund commitment, with the remaining 50% to be drawn from other sources. Beverly Foster has secured some funding for the Healthy Carolinians Coordinator from the UNC at Chapel Hill and is working on securing additional funding from other partners. The Intensive Home Visiting positions and increased time for the PHN and the Office Assistant II are also moving forward. The WTMP Environmental Educator is being asked for in a reserve fund for a partial year. D. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS GOAL UPDATE The Emergency Preparedness goal has had “release of nuclear materials” added to it, a review of the chemical spill and chemical fire procedures and review of an evacuation route. Those areas will be coordinated with Emergency Management and the County Engineer. The WTMP Expansion goal has not yet been reviewed. Healthy Carolinians has been submitted as a report and no decision on whether it will be a goal or not. E. CDC PREVENTION SPECIALIST The Orange County Health Department is one of 75 applicants that may interview/request interviews from a pool of 26 prevention specialists. This process starts on Monday, April 26th via telephone, and e-mail. Through a matching process of top choices on both sides, agencies will be notified by May 14th whether they will be asked to come to Atlanta for in-person interviews on June 5th. F. SERVICES / PROGRAMS FOR ELDERS The Aging Department is looking at several initiatives. Apple Tree is a mobile dental health program they would like to have initiated for nursing home residents. A pharmacy assistance program for elders/low income is another one. G. PUBLIC HEALTH AND BIOTERRORISM States are being offered the chance to apply for funding for developing infrastructures to respond to bioterrorism. Funding will be provided in four primary areas: preparedness/readiness assessment; laboratory capability chemical; laboratory capability biological; health alert network/communications; and surveillance/data collection The State is applying in all five categories – in this State there are already two designated sites at high risk with access to federal dollars for training and supplies – Charlotte and Winston- Salem/Greensboro. Threats of bioterrorism have already occurred in Asheville and Robeson in health clinics. MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH April 22, 1999 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Patsy L. Bateman 5 April 23, 1999 H. NEW INITIATIVES / PARTNERSHIPS The BEACON project with UNC has called the OCHD to participate in a project with them on domestic violence. A partnership project with Kerr Drug and a new Asthma Initiative Coalition are other new initiatives the department is discussing. VI. ADJOURN The motion to adjourn the Board of Health meeting was made by Barbara Chavious, seconded by Barry Adler and carried without dissent The Board of Health meeting adjourned at 10:15 P.M. The next regular Board of Health meeting will be held on May 20, 1999 at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Respectfully submitted, Rosemary L. Summers, MPH, DrPH Health Director Secretary to the Board RLS:plb