Island County Board of Health
Regular Meeting
Monday, April 16, 2001
Members Present: Commissioners William F.
Thorn; Mike Shelton; Mac McDowell; Mayor Patricia Cohen; Holly Schoenknecht,
WGH Commissioner; Roger S. Case, MD, Executive Secretary, Board of Health.
Absent: Captain John E. Tracy, MSC, USN, Ex-Officio Member
Chairman
William F. Thorn called this regularly scheduled meeting of the Island County
Board of Health to order at 5:00 p.m.
Agenda: Health Services Director
asked that agenda item #2 under Contracts be removed and that Contract #5 be
added to the agenda.
Minutes: Commissioner Mike Shelton
moved that the minutes from the March 19, 2001 meeting be approved as
written. Commissioner Holly
Schoenknecht seconded; the minutes were approved for the Chair to sign on
behalf of the Board.
Public Input: There was no input from the
public.
Program: Environmental Health
Department Director, Keith Higman presented
“Areas of Special Concern”, WAC 246-272-21501, ICC 8.07C.290. The thrust of
this presentation was to inform the Board and the public of the growing concern
statewide (and nationwide) about safeguarding the waters and aquifers being
accessed by the public, and of the requirement to formally identify “areas of
special concern” such as:
(a) Shellfish protection districts of
shellfish growing areas;
(b) Sole source aquifers designated
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency;
(c) Areas with a critical recharging
effect on aquifers used for potable water;
(d) Designated public water supply
wellhead protection areas;
(e) Up-gradient areas directly
influencing water recreation facilities designated for swimming in natural waters with artificial
boundaries…;
(f) Areas designated by the
department of ecology as special protection areas under WAC 173-
200-090, water quality
standards for ground waters;
(g) Wetlands areas under production
of crops for human consumption;
(h) Frequently flooded areas
delineated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(I) Areas identified and
delineated by the local board of health in consultation with the department
to address public health threat from onsite systems.
A
definite link exists between drinking water and surface/sub-surface
contamination sources — most particularly with on-site systems. Director Higman
related that we do not know about all the failures of on-site systems in the
county, and that the very permeable soils in some areas of the county do not
permit surface identification of failing systems. This is of special concern
when the slow contamination of an aquifer occurs without the public’s
knowledge, sometimes taking months or years. Proper maintenance of on-site
systems reduces the risk for such contamination.
A
local installer of septic systems, Jim Trask, spoke to the Board of the need
for educating the homeowner about proper maintenance of septic systems, and of
the need for a preventive program of inspection and maintenance to insure
continued optimum performance of on-site systems.
When queried about exactly who would be
responsible for designating Areas of Special Concern, Mr. Higman stated that
the Local Board of Health, in collaboration with the Health Officer, is
required by statute to designate these special areas (see attachment). He went
on to reiterate the need for further information and for public input and
education as we continue to address this issue.
Contracts:
1.
Commissioner Mike Shelton moved that Watershed Planning Contract
Amendment G9900038 (Contract with DOE) for $166,700 be approved. Commissioner Patricia Cohen seconded. The
motion passed for the Chair to sign on behalf of the Board.
2.
Commissioner Mike Shelton moved that Memorandum of Understanding
between Whidbey General Hospital and The Island County Health Department
Contract No: HD-02-01 for $14,560 be approved. Commissioner Patricia Cohen seconded. The motion passed
for the Chair to sign on behalf of the Board.
3.
Commissioner Mike Shelton moved that San Juan County & Island
County (Nutrition Services) Amendment 1 , Contract No: HD-06-00 (1) be
approved; Commissioner Patricia Cohen seconded. The motion passed for the Chair
to sign on behalf of the Board.
4.
Commissioner Mike Shelton moved that Professional Services-Assessment
& Community Development Contract with Mark Serafin, Contractor, Contract
No: HD-04-01 be approved; Commissioner
Holly Schoenknecht seconded. After a brief discussion, the motion passed for
the Chair to sign on behalf of the Board.
Public Health Report:
·
The
Washington Sate Association of Local Public Health Officials (WSALPHO) is
preparing for the next Local Board of Health Leadership Workshop for the fall
of 2001. Health Services Director Tim McDonald called attention to and invited
the board members to complete the WSALPHO survey which will form the foundation
for the design of this workshop (see attachment). Chairman Thorn commented on
the usefulness of this program, and urged boardmembers to participate and to
attend the workshop if at all possible. Chairman of the BOH requested that
Captain John Tracy, MSC, USN, Ex-Officio Member of the Board, be forwarded the
Washington State Association of Local Public Health Officials survey.
·
Roger
Case, MD, Island County Health Officer, gave final status of measles in Island
County and the Puget Sound region. Island County had two cases of measles. There were 15 cases in the state of
Washington. The World Health
Organization reports over 30 million cases of measles occur worldwide every
year, with a resultant 900,000 deaths (mostly infants and toddlers). 186 cases
of measles occurred in the entire U.S. in 1989, demonstrating the effectiveness
of the immunization program in the United States.
There
being no further business, Commissioner Thorn adjourned the meeting at 6:00
p.m. The Board of Health will reconvene Monday, May 21, 2001 at 5:00 PM.
Submitted: Roger S Case, MD, Executive Secretary to the
Board
Minutes approved this 21st day of May
2001.
William F. Thorn, Chairman