The Island County Board of Health convened in Regular Session at 11:15 a.m. on May 11,

1998, in the Island County Courthouse Annex, Coupeville, Wa., with Board of Health members present: Wm. L. McDowell, Chairman; Tom Shaughnessy, Member; and Mike Shelton, Member. Others Present: Dr. Roger Case, M.D., Health Officer; Tim McDonald, Health Services Director; Joye Emmens, Environmental Health Director; Jan Dahl, Assessment Coordinator; Marshall Bronson, Community Health Advisory Board (CHAB); Lisa Clark and Lisa Sheer from The Opportunity Council.

Commissioner Shelton, Dr. Case and Mr. McDonald interviewed individuals for positions on the CHAB, and Commissioner Shelton believed the nominees would be wonderful additions to the CHAB. By unanimous motion, the Board appointed the following individuals to serve as members of the Community Health Advisory Board:

Term

Debra Jaccard Position #5 March 8, 2001

John Trippany Position #19 March 8, 2000

Mickie Nowlin Position #6 March 8, 2001

Valerie Stafford Position #7 March 8, 2001

Sandra Aikins Position #4 March 8, 2001.

Marshal Bronson reported that the Youth & Family Summit was held as scheduled Saturday, May 9, at the Coupeville Elementary School, and provided handouts from the Summit. The CHAB community survey resulted in "Youth" as the major issue of concern. Much interest was shown and some approximately 122 people attended ranging from ages 9 weeks to older adults. The purpose of the Summit was to identify community imperatives, strong statements which describe what must be in the community to support youth and families. The next steps are: this Summer to identify specific strategies and/or programs for each community imperative; this Fall to pull together the work of all the groups, North, Central and South, and create a community health plan for youth and families.

Jan Dahl reviewed the Community Imperatives for each area of the County identified at the Summit:

Some 82 people signed up as wanting to be involved in the project over the summer. The

Camano folks who attended the Summit actually helped facilitate some of the program because the process on Camano is one step ahead of the process on Whidbey Island.

As far as the issue of a community center, Commissioner Shelton recalled that on South Whidbey several years ago Island County participated with other local entities and had WSU conduct a community survey of whether they would support a community center on a ballot measure. The survey showed 72% support within the South Whidbey School District and based on that result, that issue went to the vote of the public and garnered less than 50% of the vote. If there is a way to utilize an existing capital facility, such as the South Whidbey School, his opinion would always be to do so rather than talking about building another building.

Mr. Bronson agreed the point was to try to develop the programs, and not that capital investment be the key ingredient since it is not necessarily true that a building addresses a problem successfully, but a "place" is where those things and those elements get together. Even more important is to look at communication, education and mentoring, etc.

Mr. McDonald commented, having participated in one of the summit groups, that he was aware that "community center" was more of a buzz word - they want the services and processes available not necessarily a facility or another government building, but services and process of intergenerational community interaction.

Commissioner Shelton commented too that if it is believed that the only way our communities are going to become healthy is to include as wide a cross-section of the community in the solution as possible, he cautioned to stay away from things that ultimately tend to divide communities. Celebrating diversity is a good thing, but there is a need to be careful to talk about things that build a community in spite of differences rather than pointing out differences that tend to divide the community. Commissioners McDowell and Shaughnessy agreed.

The Health Department shares a building [North Whidbey Resource Center] with The Opportunity Council, and Mr. McDonald receives feedback from staff about how The Opportunity Council is doing with respect to services to the community on a front line basis.

While a year or so ago the feedback was quite negative, feedback currently t is very positive; the Council is doing an excellent job at providing services to the people; staff is very friendly to the community; and there is a real effort to involve the community in the fundamental direction-setting and policies of The Opportunity Council in Island County through an advisory committee in which the participation is very wide.

Lisa Clark, Island County Director of The Opportunity Council, views the Island County Opportunity Council as a new creation, going in new directions, recognizing and responding to the needs of the community. The Council works internally with the Council in Bellingham, but is not a "cookie-cutter franchise" of Bellingham. Mr. Clark said that she receives no directives from Bellingham; she does not ask permission for what Island County Opportunity Council can or cannot do. A process is in place to discover gaps of services in the community, and to look for what works in Island County, and set about to mobilize community participation and support. Partnerships are being developed with local agencies, connections are being established with private business community, local governments and other agencies. They are working on is a grant application in order to put Information & Referral information on line with Sno-Isle Library .

The Island County Opportunity Council has a long term solution for healthy communities and a plan to help families increase self-sufficiency by employing the family development model. One of the major determinants of health is the socio-economic condition: poverty, unemployment and the lack of education. The Island County Opportunity Council has taken the first steps toward solutions of homelessness in Island County with a grant to develop emergency shelter and

continues to work within the community on issues of affordable housing. The Island County Continuum of Care charges the Council to develop and provide services in the areas of employment, job training, placement and child care, and to that end they are creating and working with partnerships developed with the Employment Security Department, DSHS and the Navy to begin addressing each of those issues. The Low Energy Hearing Assistance Program one of the best indicators, having served more than 420 clients and introduced into the community $130,000 worth of energy assistance. Camano Island is also served in by that program; eight weatherization assessments are being done on Camano Island next week.

Mr. McDonald saw very definitely a change on the Opportunity Council board of directors, an understanding there needs to be further as far as board representation from Island County.

Ms. Clark recalled that Island County has two members on the board of directors right now,

and she is asking there be a third. At the last board meeting, Island county presented an internal assessment and the board was very supportive and pleased to see the direction headed and seemed to want to support what the Island County Opportunity Council is doing.

The Commissioners expressed appreciation for the presentation and applauded what The Opportunity Council is doing in order to have an effective community action agency representing Island County.

Meeting adjourned at 11:50 a.m. The next regular meeting

is scheduled for June 8, 1998, beginning at 11:15 a.m.

BOARD OF HEALTH

ISLAND COUNTY, WASHINGTON

Wm. L. McDowell, Chairman

Tom Shaughnessy, Member

/em Mike Shelton, Member