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HomeMy WebLinkAboutres2019-009Whatcom County COUNTY COURTHOUSE 311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105 Bellingham, WA 98225-4038 (360) 778-5010 Agenda Bill Master Report File Number: AB2019-110 File ID: AB2019-110 Version: 2 Status: Approved File Created: 01/29/2019 Entered by: TAxlund@co.whatcom.wa.us Department: Health Department File Type: Resolution First Assigned to: Council as the Board of Health Agenda Date: 02/05/2019 Next Mtg. Date: TITLE FOR AGENDA ITEM: Supporting Washington State Legislature funding for core public health service SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: None HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE FILE Hearing Date: Date: Acting Body: Action: Sent To: 02/05/2019 Council as the Board of Health APPROVED Attachments: FPHS Funding Support Resolution 2019 Final Action: 02/05/2019 Enactment Date: 02/05/2019 Enactment #: RES 2019-009 Whatcom County Page 1 Printed on 2/5/2019 PROPOSED BY: Health INTRODUCED: RESOLUTION NO. '019-009 WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE SUPPORT OF FUNDING FOR CORE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES WHEREAS, the public health system in Washington provides the foundation for the larger health care framework, working to prevent illness and disease while supporting the work of community partners; and WHEREAS, tracking, responding to, and preventing costly food and water contamination and disease outbreaks is essential to protecting the public's health; and WHEREAS, state and local public health officials, together with local leaders, have identified an agreed -upon set of core public health services that should be available for every Washingtonian; and WHEREAS, after a century of increasing life expectancies, today these gains are threatened by new and more complex diseases, continued tobacco use and preventable chronic diseases, putting today's children at risk of becoming the first generation to have shorter life expectancies than their parents; and WHEREAS, the public's well-being is also threatened by public health's inability to meet its basic responsibility to provide these core services due to changes in its funding structure, complex and new diseases, and growing populations; and WHEREAS, the motor vehicle excise tax was repealed in 2000, leaving the public health system without an adequate and sustainable funding source; and WHEREAS, Washington state's population has grown by more than one million residents since 2000, and is expected to grow by another two million residents by 2025; and WHEREAS, Washington state spends less on public health protection ($38.08 per person) than other states like Idaho ($54.35 per person) and Wyoming ($89.75 per person); and WHEREAS, Whatcom County Health Department resources have been stretched over the last several years making it difficult to quickly respond to an ever increasing number of disease outbreaks of norovirus, influenza, E.coli, measles, mumps, whooping cough and varicella. WHEREAS, Whatcom County's newly expanded substance abuse treatment options already exceed capacity, and the County lacks the additional resources needed to make short and long term system improvement to help stem the tide of the opiate epidemic in our community. WHEREAS, over the last four years, state, local, and Tribal public health leaders have developed a plan to modernize the state's public health system, ensuring core services are available everywhere and designating others that can be effectively and efficiently shared between health jurisdictions; and WHEREAS, without securing ongoing, stable, and dedicated funding for core public health services, our communities are left unprepared for emergencies like hazardous air from wildfires, and vulnerable to the spread of communicable diseases like mumps and whooping cough; and WHEREAS, rebuilding and refocusing our public health services means we can better monitor and coordinate emergency responses — keeping our families and communities safe, reducing costs for taxpayers, and protecting our local economy. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Whatcom County Board of Health calls on the Washington state legislature to recognize that public health is essential and provide the critical down -payment to support core services in all communities and allow public health to rebuild its statewide system with added efficiency. AR�ICVEfl thiG°°qsth day of February, 2019. © � o e a EE CtJt 4N fy ATT�-�T: Dana°..Brown-Dayis,.Clerk of the Council APPROVEDYA , TO FORM: Cty zR sec t r Page 2 WHAATCCD��TY, WASHINGOTOND RudlBrowne, Health Board Chair