HomeMy WebLinkAboutHealth Board February 5 20191 Whatcom County Council
2 Board of Health
3 February 5, 2019
4 CALL TO ORDER
5
6 Council Chair Rud Browne called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m. in the County
7 Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
8
9 ROLL CALL
10
11 Present: Barbara Brenner, Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan,
12 Carol Frazey, and Satpal Sidhu.
13 Absent: None
14
15 1. PUBLIC SESSION
16
17 Ken Gas, retired pediatrician, spoke about the importance of early childhood health.
18
19 Buchanan reported on the launch of the expanded Countywide secure medicine return
20 program.
21
22 2. DIRECTOR/HEALTH OFFICER REPORTS
23
24 Regina Delahunt, Health Department Director, reported and answered questions on the
25 public health -related bills being put forward by the State legislature, including bills related to the
26 minimum age for the purchase of tobacco, increasing the tax on vapor products, universal home
27 visiting program for all new babies in the state, foundational public health services funding and
28 policies, and removing the personal exemption for vaccinations.
29
30 Greg Stern, County Health Officer, reported and answered questions on a recent measles
31 outbreak, different types of vaccine exemptions, and the veracity of vaccine data.
32
33 3. PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD (PHAB) UPDATE
34
35 Rachel Lucy, Public Health Advisory Board Chair, reported and answered questions on the
36 new Food Systems Committee and the recent immigrant health resolution.
37
38 4. 2019 HEALTH BOARD POLICY AGENDA
39
40 The following Public Health Advisory Board members and staff reported and answered
41 questions on the Advisory Board proposed 2019 policy agenda:
42 0 Rachel Lucy, Advisory Board Chair
43 0 Chi-Na Stoane, Advisory Board
44 0 Sterling Chick, Advisory Board
45 0 Regina Delahunt, Health Department Director
46
47 Board members reported on the Advisory Board proposed 2019 policy agenda, which will
48 include:
49 0 Focus on early childhood development and support for families
50 • Housing, and housing support
51 0 Foundational public health services
52
53 Health Board and Advisory Board members and staff discussed funding, other examples
54 of making community investments in children, the number of Whatcom County children who live
55 under the poverty level, sources of stress on families in the community, the need for education
56 and training on caring for children for childcare workers and parents, whether there is a need to
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prioritize mental health and protecting children in abusive homes, the benefits of mentorship,
looking at the entire spectrum of homeless services that could be available, collaborating with
other agencies at the state and federal levels,
Donovan moved to adopt the three policy priorities for 2019.
The motion was seconded.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Brenner, Browne, Buchanan, Donovan, Frazey, and Sidhu (6)
Nays: None(0)
Abstains: Byrd (1)
5. FOUNDATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES FUNDING
Regina Delahunt, Health Department Director, gave a staff report.
The following Health Department staff answered questions:
• Greg Stern, County Health Officer
• Astrid Newell
Buchanan moved to approve the resolution to the Washington State legislature in
support of funding for core public health services.
The motion was seconded.
Councilmembers and Delahunt discussed the level of public health funding per capita in
each state.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Brenner, Browne, Buchanan, Donovan, Frazey, and Sidhu (6)
Nays: Byrd (1)
Councilmembers and staff discussed whether there is a shortage of cold weather
shelters, people taking responsibility for their own health rather than relying on public health
services, and reducing barriers to making healthy choices.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 12:04 p.m.
The Cou'0al approved these minutes on February 12, 2019.
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Dari'a Brov n Epyi;�;\toun.cittIerk Rud V wne, Council Chair
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Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
COUNCIL
WASHINGTON
Board of Health, 2/5/2019, Page 2