HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-11-24-minutes-joint-boh-and-bocc-special-meeting
KITTITAS COUNTY JOINT BOARD OF HEALTH /BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS PUBLIC HEARING
Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Commissioners’ Auditorium
1:00 p.m.
Present
Board of Health (BOH): Gary Berndt, Obie O’Brien, Paul Jewell, Rich Elliott, John Asriel, M.D.
Board of Health Advisory Committee (BOHAC): Andrew Lyons, Mike Messenger
Public Health: Candi Blackford, Amy Fuller, Kasey Knutson, Kaitlyn Reddick, Liz Whitaker, Robin
Read, Erin Moore, Holly Myers, Mark Larson, M.D.
Other: Jesse Major, Ellensburg Daily Record, Darren Higashiyama
Gary Berndt opened up the meeting noting that the Board of County Commissioners had an order of
business to act on before the public meeting could start.
Darren Higashiyama, a member of the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Department, and on behalf of Sheriff
Gene Dana and Emergency Management, is requesting authorization to approve Resolution 2015-160 for
a Declaration of Emergency for Kittitas County from the November 17 storm. Damages from the storm
are more than initially expected because damage assessments were unable to be completed due to
flooding on November 18. The Governor’s office declared an emergency for all counties in Washington
State.
Motion 11-01: Motion to approve Resolution 2015-160 establishing a Declaration of Emergency for
flood and wind damage. Obie O’Brien moved to approve the Resolution 2015-160 establishing a
Declaration of Emergency for flood and wind damage. Paul Jewell second. All approved. Motion
11-01 carried to approve the Resolution 2015-160 establishing a Declaration of Emergency for flood
and wind damage.
Gary Berndt called the Joint Board of Health and Board of County Commissioners Public Hearing to
order at 1:05 p.m.to consider the amendment of the 2015 Public Health Fee Schedule and adopt the 2016
Public Health Fee Schedule.
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November 24, 2015
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Robin Read stepped to the microphone and introduced herself. Ms. Read noted that there were two
actions that the department would like the boards to consider. First, the department would like to ask for
approval of the amendment to the 2015 Public Health Fee Schedule. The 2015 Public Health Fee
Schedule is amended to add water mitigation package A- $3,080.00, and water mitigation package B-
$3,995.00 and an annual metering fee of $180.00 for the water program that starts December 2. Ms. Read
briefly reviewed a breakdown of fees and methodology used to develop the costs. The department would
also like to remove the leased mitigation fee since this will no longer be an option for the public as it is
replaced with new water purchasing options.
Ms. Read noted that the health department has not done a major overhaul on fees and will not do so until
the new fee methodology is established. Ms. Read reviewed the following fees to be incorporated in
2016:
Preliminary plat, cluster plat 5+ Lots: $540.00
Final plat: $260.00
Pre-application meeting: $145.00
Preliminary site analysis: $50.00
The following are fee changes to be implemented in 2016:
The department will no longer require payment for on-site septic records as this is public record.
The short plat fee has been clarified to be consistent with Community Development Service’s
language to indicate that this is the same for the short plats, short plat amendments, cluster plats
with four or fewer lots, and large lots.
All land use review fees have been combined into one fee for clarification since they all involve
the same activities, and clarification will be added to indicate what activities are covered under
the land use review fee.
The brief and limited office visit fees have been removed since insurance companies do not pay
for these visits when just vaccines are administered.
The vaccine administration charge has been rounded down to $23.00 for convenience and ease of
making change.
The following are fee policy changes to be implemented in 2016:
Indicate that stakeholders shall be notified about public hearings affecting the fee schedule.
Clarify which fees qualify for the sliding fee scale.
Clarify which fees can be waived based on a client’s indication of an inability to pay.
Reflect the current Medicaid eligibility guidelines for the sliding fee scale and the sliding fee
scale income table will be removed from the policy since the Federal Poverty Level guidelines
are updated in the middle of the calendar year.
Reflect current forms of payment accepted.
Outline how specific clinic services will be billed and/or charged depending on the age, risk level,
and health insurance status of the patient.
Clarify how annual operating permits are pro-rated outside of the permitting year.
Specify how and when vaccine fees are updated.
Clarify how fees are applied to off-site clinics.
Commissioner Gary Berndt opened the meeting for public comment at 1:19 p.m.
Public comment closed at 1:20 p.m.
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November 24, 2015
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Mr. Berndt asked for a motion to approve of Board of Health Resolution 2015-01 approving the amended
2015 Public Health Fee Schedule.
Motion 11-02: Motion to approve Board of Health Resolution 2015-01 approving the amended 2015
Public Health Fee Schedule. Paul Jewell moved to approve the Board of Health Resolution 2015-01
approving the amended 2015 Public Health Fee Schedule. Rich Elliott second. All approved.
Motion 11-02 carried to approve the Board of Health Resolution 2015-01 approving the amended
2015 Public Health Fee Schedule.
Mr. Berndt asked for a motion to approve the Board of County Commissioners Resolution 2015-158
approving the amended 2015 Public Health Fee Schedule.
Motion 11-03: Motion to approve the Board of County Commissioners Resolution 2015-158
approving the amended 2015 Public Health Fee Schedule. Obie O’Brien moved to approve the
Board of County Commissioners Resolution 2015-158 approving the amended 2015 Public Health
Fee Schedule. Paul Jewell second. All approved. Motion 11-03 carried to approve the Board of
County Commissioners Resolution 2015-158 approving the amended 2015 Public Health Fee
Schedule.
Commissioner Jewell recommended a motion to approve the Board of Health Resolution 2015-02
adopting the 2016 Public Health Fee Schedule with the following amendment:
Strike the preliminary site analysis fee
Commissioner Jewell discussed that the preliminary site analysis process was developed through a Lean
Team which included members of Environmental Health, Community Development Services, Public
Works, and others. It was brought to the members of the Board of County Commissioners for approval
with the notion that it would improve efficiency for staff and applicants for building permits. The original
intent was to have a small fee up front of $50.00, which would come off of the building permit fee. The
preliminary site analysis wasn’t always done in the beginning of the process, but now that has changed to
make things easier for all involved in this process. The board has heard several times that there is no cost
recovery for this, but the cost recovery was included in the process. Now, the customer does not have to
go back and do a re-review in the middle of the process, as it will now be done in the beginning.
Community Development Services increased the preliminary site analysis from $50.00 to$130.00. If this
$50.00 fee is kept as a separate fee, it would be a total of $180.00. If this fee was approved, there would
be two departments with separate fees, opening discussions for other department’s possible need for a
portion of the fee. If there is a significant problem that is affecting all of the departments without realized
cost savings on the backside, tracking this work may be necessary. If we are adding another process that
adds additional costs and time to staff and the applicant, then it would be recommend revisiting the
process. Commissioner Berndt did note that public health does not receive any of the $50.00 fee, but
does some of the work. The board discussed the lean process and how that information was presented to
the Board of County Commissioners and the general public. Rich Elliott noted that he would vote against
striking the preliminary site analysis as the health department has done what the Board of Health has
asked them to do, which is provide fees for cost recovery for the work that they do. He understands that
is may create a perception problem with the public with accumulating fees, but from the Board of
Health’s perspective, the department has done what the board has asked them to do. Obie O’Brien asked
questions about the health department’s involvement with the preliminary site analysis and for the
specific process that happens in the department. Erin Moore discussed the preliminary site analysis
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November 24, 2015
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process before and after the lean process. Ms. Moore stated that the $50.00 fee that was removed from
the initial $850.00 building permit fee was a critical areas review that was done in the middle of the
process, and the group decided to pull out that piece and put as a first step and call it a preliminary site
analysis. It was set up to get the customer all the information needed for environmental health (septic and
water) ahead of time instead of at the end. There was continued discussion from board members and
public health staff about the process of the preliminary site analysis and the initiated fee associated with
this, which public health receives none of. Commissioner Jewell noted that the Lean Team was created to
generate a better process, and if it’s not working, then we need to revisit this issue instead of charging for
it and continuing to do the work. Commissioner Berndt also recommended going back to the Lean
Committee and revisiting the process to let them know that it is not working for the health department.
Commissioner Jewell also recommended a couple options for recovering funds for the amount of staff
time put into the preliminary site analysis in future fee schedules.
Motion 11-04: Motion to approve the Board of Health Resolution 2015-02 adopting the 2016 Public
Health Fee Schedule with the amendment of removing the Preliminary Site Analysis Fee. Paul
Jewell moved to approve the Board of Health Resolution 2015-02 adopting the 2016 Public Health
Fee Schedule with the amendment of removing the Preliminary Site Analysis fee. Obie O’Brien
second. Motion 11-04 carried to approve the Board of Health Resolution 2015-02 adopting the 2016
Public Health Fee Schedule with the amendment of removing the Preliminary Site Analysis fee.
Rich Elliott and John Asriel, M.D. opposed the motion.
Mr. Berndt asked for a motion to approve the Board of County Commissioners Resolution 2015-159
adopting the 2016 Public Health Fee Schedule.
Motion 11-05: Motion to approve the Board of County Commissioners Resolution 2015-159
adopting the 2016 Public Health Fee Schedule. Paul Jewell moved to approve the Board of County
Commissioners Resolution 2015-159 adopting the 2016 Public Health Fee Schedule with the
amendment of removing the Preliminary Site Analysis fee. Obie O’Brien second. Motion 11-05
carried to approve the Board of County Commissioners Resolution 2015-159 with the amendment
of removing the Preliminary Site Analysis fee adopting the 2016 Public Health Fee Schedule.
The public hearing concluded at 1:52 p.m.
_______________________________________
Gary Berndt, Chair of the Board of Health
_______________________________________
Robin Read, Administrator,
Kittitas County Public Health
_______________________________________
Candi Blackford, Clerk of the Board of Health