2019-05-16-minutes-board-of-health

Home Browse Search

Board of Health Minutes May 16, 2019 2 of 4 BOHAC update Tristen Lamb stepped to the microphone and informed the board that there was no meeting this month. Ms. Lamb and Dr. Mark Larson met with Andrew Lyons, Hope Source, and discussed the purpose of BOHAC. It was resolved that the BOHAC meeting will decrease in quantity to meeting quarterly and BOHAC members will focus on promoting public health and its programs. _Department uydates Administrator update Tristen Lamb stepped to the microphone. Ms. Lamb then updated the board members on the following updates from public health. Washington State Public Health Policy Updates: • Tim Roth, Public Health Nurse, updated on ESB 1638 that is signed and states children in public and private schools, and licensed childcare centers throughout the state will no longer be allowed to claim a personal or philosophical exemption from receiving required doses of MMR vaccines. • Chelsey Loeffers, Health Promotion Specialist, reports SHB1930 applies to employers of 15 or more employees who are now required to provide reasonable break time to express breastmilk for up to two years after birth in a location that is not a bathroom. Violations will be investigated by the attorney general. • Nea Alfaro, Health Promotion Specialist, reports that Tobacco 21 or EHB 1074 will be effective January 1, 2020. Also, ES2HB is expected to be signed which will initiate taxation on vapor products as tobacco products. • Candi Blackford, Administrative Supervisor, is preparing for the changes the department will see in 2021 from the passing of SB 5332. SB 5332 updates the "Vital Statistics", modernizes the existing statute, increases the fee, limits who we can release birth/death certificates to, shortens registration timelines, and requires monthly reporting. There were many wins in public health policy, but there were some losses: • Local Solid Waste Financial Assistance was allocated on 10 million in the final enacted budget, which leaves the county with the lowest biennial allocation in over ten years. • Group B Public Water Systems funding was not allocated for local health jurisdictions. Department Updates • Community Health and the Health Officer responded to a measles exposure report in mid- April. • Health Promotion staff is working with FISH and the Ellensburg Farmers Market to implement Kids Eating Right, Nutrition and Exercise for Life (KERNEL) this summer. • Environmental Health, Front Desk, and Water Resources staff worked through a detailed Quality Improvement project to update, reformat, and publish all applications in time for May 1 fee schedule updates. • Permitting season is beginning in earnest for the year, which leads to increase in Environmental Health activities for inspection and licenses. • Environmental Health staff attended the Washington State Environmental Health Association conference and May 7t' was declared Environmental Health Specialist Day by the Governor's Office. ■ 2019 Budget Amendments are underway at the department, due to increases in revenue and expenditures from the previously adopted budget. Those changes will be submitted to the Kittitas County Auditor's Office and the Board of Health, after staff retirement dates are official.