HomeMy WebLinkAboutHealth March 24 2009WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Health Committee
March 24, 2009
Committee Member L. Ward Nelson called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. in the
Council Committee Room, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
Present: Absent:
Carl Weimer None
Barbara Brenner
Also Present:
1. HEALTH DEPARTMENT 2009 -2010 WORK PLAN
Brenner referenced plan page 27 and asked about those onsite septic systems (OSS)
that have failed and not been repaired because the owners don't have the money to fix
them.
Regina Delahunt, Health Department Director, stated those were probably in 2008.
The information` on plan page 27 has information for 2006 and 2007. The Health
Department is working with the folks to figure out a way to get them repaired. Whenever a
system fails, there is always a certain percentage of people who have a difficult time coming
up with the money. The staff works very hard with the folks to find a way to pay for a new
system. They've always found a solution in the past. In the instance when the property
has been a rental, some owners choose not to repair the system and vacate the property.
She doesn't recall any property where the owner had to vacate.
Brenner stated that if they don't get pass- through funds from the State Department
of Ecology (DOE), the County should set up its own low interest loan program. It's a public
health and safety issue, as much as Lake Whatcom is. Be ready if the State doesn't come
through with funding.
John Wolpers, Health Department, stated an application was turned into the State on
March 14, and it usually takes about 60 days to get a response.
Brenner stated she heard that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also has
funding for these kinds of programs. Delahunt stated that might be the money that goes to
the State for the State program.
Weimer asked about the numbers of evaluations completed versus the percent of
satisfaction for 2007. Those numbers should be the same. Wolpers stated he will check on
that number.
Health Committee, 3/24/2009, Page 1
Weimer stated he hopes that the price for inspections will go down as more people
have inspections. Wolpers stated he hears that is happening.
Weimer stated they talked about offering homeowner training, setting up classes
through the community college for people who want to get into that business, and creating
a program to offer an inspection service for low- income homeowners.
Nelson stated a home with a family will fill a tank quickly. However, a home with an
elderly couple or working couples that aren't home rarely gets full. At some point, they will
have to have a reality check on what they're doing to people. He wants to know what this
requirement really accomplishes.
Weimer stated that during the first cycle, they are finding out where all the tanks are
and the percentage that are working. After the first cycle, they may change the program,
depending on what they find.
Nelson stated they must do that. They may be going beyond what is necessary to
accomplish the goal, which is watershed protection. Wolpers stated keep in mind that the
one- and three -year inspection is still in the State regulations. He still hasn't seen how the
State has proven that the one- and three -year inspections are scientifically valid.
Weimer stated they will hopefully know more about that once they collect some data.
People who live in cities pay $25 per month for sewer. These costs are not out of line with
what other people pay.
Brenner stated people in the County pay $25,000 for their OSS system and up to
$15,000 for a well. They pay up front. In the city, people make payments. One is not
more expensive than the other. Wolpers stated they still have to look at monitoring the
installed systems to make sure they are maintained. That's what this program is about.
Nelson stated his hope for this program is that it will collect information on existing
systems once, and then be done.
Brenner stated target areas first where they know are major problems and bad soils.
Target those areas for homeowner classes. When people who take the homeowner class
see the cost difference between maintenance and failure, they will have an incentive to take
care of their system, even if they don't care about the environment.
Brenner referenced plan page 23 and asked where they find such high lead
concentrations in drinking water. Wolpers stated it comes from old solder that is in the
pipes or old lead pipes.
Brenner referenced the first paragraph on plan page 23 and asked if they have
proven that water quality is degrading due in part from failing on site sewage systems
(OSS). The problems could be from other sources. Wolpers stated they have that proof.
The State Department of Health and County traced a problem due specifically to failing OSS
on Drayton Harbor Road a few years ago. When they cleaned up those problems, the
numbers went down. They've also had specific issues in Custer in the past with OSS. They
aren't saying that OSS is a critical problem, but problems do crop up.
Health Committee, 3/24/2009, Page 2
1 Delahunt stated there must be a concerted effort all around to deal with water
2 quality issues, and not focus on one particular source.
3
4 Brenner stated the language in the plan specifically say that they've found hot spots
5 in the past. She asked why they can't do that type of study before making everyone get
6 inspections. Wolpers stated they are doing that. They have an interlocal agreement with
7 the Public Works Department to do that work on specific areas and hot spots.
8
9 Brenner referenced plan page five and asked what it means when someone is at risk
10 of being overweight.
11
12 Nelson stated they have a higher body fat content than normal.
13
14 Astrid Newell, Health Department, stated there are thresholds for what is considered
15 overweight. Someone near that threshold is considered at risk for being overweight.
16
17 Brenner stated separate out those items. If they're not overweight, they're not
18 overweight. When someone starts a prevention program, they find out this stuff. It makes
19 it sound like 23 percent of tenth graders are overweight. Separate those who are
20 overweight from those who are at risk of being overweight. Delahunt stated they can
21 separate those statistics.
22
23 Brenner referenced the language that says families in rural areas are less likely to
24 participate in physical activity and have higher rates of being overweight and obese. She
25 finds that hard to believe.
26
27 Nelson stated people in rural areas aren't necessarily farming. '
28
29 Newell said they did a risk factor surveillance, and separated Bellingham addresses
30 from all others. There is a significant difference from those living in the Bellingham zip
31 codes.
32
33 Brenner stated Bellingham is one of the healthiest cities in the country. Amend the
34 language to reference individuals and families who live "outside the Bellingham area ", not
35 the "rural area."
36
37 Nelson stated they don't have the statistics to support it.
38
39 Newell stated they have been considering the difference also between the low -
40 income and higher- income populations. That is the key risk. They see significant
41 differences there.
42
43 Delahunt stated a factor may be that the income levels are higher in urban areas.
44 There are new initiatives they're trying to implement. Some of the things in the work plan
45 may be a dream, given the state of the County budget and State budget. They did receive
46 a grant recently to implement this community needs assessment.
47
48 Newell described the community assessment around nutrition and physical activity.
49
Health Committee, 3/24/2009, Page 3
1 Nelson stated that the more the County prepares the community for a complete look
2 at health, the more grant opportunities there will be. Delahunt stated an advantage of
3 having plans and partners in place is that they will bring in resources.
4
5 Brenner asked if the percentage of adults who are smokers, which is 18 percent, is a
6 trend downward or upward. Delahunt stated the adult numbers are holding steady.
7
8 Newell state the trend is going up in the low- income population.
9
10 Nelson stated he is concerned about nursing home incidents. He asked if there has
11 been an evaluation of mental health treatment and why they put people in nursing homes
12 after they're taken out of mental health institutions. Delahunt stated she's not aware of an
13 evaluation.
14
15 (Clerk's Note: End of tape one, side A.)
16
17 Nelson stated the issue is also with jail diversion. Look at how many people are
18 being institutionalized inappropriately in nursing homes. Some of the effort listed in the
19 section regarding jail diversion needs to go into evaluating nursing home facilities as well.
20
21 Brenner referenced plan page 13. In addition to limiting juice at daycares and
22 schools, also indicate that they limit sodas. Also, spell out the acronyms and indicate the
23 common names of infectious diseases, such as chicken pox for varicella. She referenced
24 plan page 21 and asked why they are only going to get 40 percent of sexual partners of
25 reported cases. Delahunt stated there isn't a lot of partner follow -up. They just started a
26 new program, but there isn't a lot of partner notification.
27
28 Newell stated that doesn't mean only 40 percent will get treated. It means they'll
29 know only about 40 percent.
30
31 Delahunt described the new expedited partner therapy program.
32
33 Brenner referenced plan page 29 and stated goals for the homeless, mentally ill, and
34 substance abusers should be to increase food and temporary housing. Delahunt stated they
35 won't abandon the temporary steps for housing. The long term goal for housing is to not
36 just stick people in motel rooms for the short-term. The long -term goal is to get them into
37 permanent housing as soon as possible.
38
39 Nelson stated there is a declaratory judgment that has gone to Skagit County
40 regarding $250,000 of services for mental health. Support the Prosecutor in joining the
41 declaratory judgment.
42
43 Delahunt stated staff will make suggested changes to the plan and bring it to the
44 Board of Health in April.
45
46 Weimer moved to recommend approval of the plan to the Board of Health as
47 amended.
48
49 Motion carried 3 -0.
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Health Committee, 3/24/2009, Page 4
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ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 9:55 a.m.
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Health Committee, 3/24/2009, Page 5