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Special Board of Health / CHAB Meeting Minutes, 2 April 2008   

Board of Health attendees: John Dean, Mayor Jim Slowik, Phil Bakke, Kristy Miller, and Roger Case (Executive Secretary)
Excused: Mac McDowell and Captain Colin Chinn (ex officio)

CHAB Attendees: Dave Macys, Roger Case, Celine Servatius, Cathy Niiro, Charles Scurlock, Patricia Terry, Catherine Howard-Clark, Leslie Stevens, Krista Voigt, Katie Hicks, Carl Stephens, Terry Arnold, Marie Piper, Toni Kotschwar (associate member) and Duane Gimbel (associate member)  
Excused: Dave Thomason, Kathryn Stevens, Trish Rose
Absent: Lynn Sterbenz
Staff:  Tim McDonald, Melinda Kurtz, Carrie McLachlan, and Whitney Webber 
ICHD Participating Staff: Kerry Graves and Keith Higman

Call to Order (Board of Health):  Chairman John Dean called to order this Special Board of Health at 5:32 p.m., and welcomed everyone to this annual meeting of the dual boards in honor of National Public Health Week. 
Call to Order (CHAB): David Macys then called the regularly scheduled meeting of the Island County Community Health Advisory Board to order at 5:35 p.m. and briefly discussed the purpose of the combined meeting of the Boards, viz., to honor the recipients of the annual Linda Lee Martens Memorial Health Hero of Island County recognition, and to briefly detail the work being done by the Community Health Advisory Board. 

Presentation of awards to the 2007 Linda Lee Martens Memorial Health Hero of Island County recipients:  Roger Case, MD briefly explained the reason for the annual celebration of the volunteer activities of persons and organizations within Island County who make life better for the residents of our communities, and who have been nominated by those who have deemed these activities worthy of such recognition. Initiated in the year 2000, this event has grown steadily in popularity, and is the central theme of CHAB's celebration of National Public Health Week. 

The Board members then read the citations of the awardees and presented the following individuals and organizations with plaques honoring their services to our communities:

     Individuals:
     Helen Bjerum            Eleanor Mallchok         Mike Riley  
      Toni Kotschwar        Jim Patton                     Carol Sele 
      Patrick Loughlin        Michele Renninger      Sue Tingstad 

  Youth:
   Christopher Bitting

  Organizations:
   City of Oak Harbor Wellness Committee
   Soroptimists International of South Whidbey
   Friends of Camano Island Parks
   Soroptimists International of North Whidbey
   Impaired Driving Impact Panel of Island County

Presentations: CHAB's activities and work plan for 2008. . .
     Chronic Disease / Physical Activity                                Leslie Stevens
     Communicable Disease                                                  Roger Case
     Environmental Health Steering Committee                    Marie Piper
     Children's Commission                                                    Don Cook
     CHAB Children's Commission Steering Committee    Cathy Niiro

Open Discussion: Following the presentations, Chairman David Macys opened the floor for questions and comments from the attendees and guests. 

A discussion ensued about the potential contamination of Island County waters by pharmaceuticals and the potential for testing drinking water around the county.  Keith Higman, Environmental Health director for Island County, commented that specific tests for such contaminants would be extremely difficult and quite expensive... and that no standards for such had been established. Dr. Case, Island County Health Officer, stated that he would be making an announcement for the media to detail how individual's discarded medications should be placed into the waste stream without contaminating our waters.

Carrie McLachlan announced that this was the last CHAB meeting for the Director of Public Health for Island County, Tim McDonald. She acknowledged his 28 years of service in various roles in local public health, and how very much CHAB and the health department appreciated his many contributions and leadership. Tim graciously acknowledged this tribute to a standing ovation from all present.

Adjourning CHAB:  David Macys again thanked Whidbey General hospital staff for hosting the meeting and buffet dinner, and the awardees for their outstanding contributions to the community. He then adjourned the CHAB to the Board of Health.

Adjourning Board of Health:  Chairman John Dean read a Proclamation for Public Health Week, naming the first full week in April as Island County's celebration of National Public Health Week, April 6--12. This was unanimously approved by the board members. Chairman Dean congratulated the Linda Lee Martens Memorial Health Heroes of Island County and thanked everyone for attending. He then adjourned the meeting at 7:00 p.m., noting that the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Heath would be convened at 1:15 p.m. on April 21, 2008 in the Commissioner's hearing room (B-102) of the County Annex.

updated 07 April 2008
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