HomeMy WebLinkAboutHealth Board Oct 6 2020Whatcom County
Council as the Health Board
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360)778-5010
Minutes - Final
VIRTUAL MEETING - VIEW ONLINE
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
10:45 AM
Virtual Meeting
COUNCILMEMBERS
Rud Browne
Barry Buchanan
Tyler Byrd
Todd Donovan
Ben Llenbaas
Carol Frazey
Kathy Kershner
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council as the Health Board Minutes - Final October 6, 2020
Call To Order
Roll Call
Council Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 10:46 a.m. in a
virtual meeting.
Present: 7 - Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, Carol Frazey, Ben
Elenbaas and Kathy Kershner
Absent: None
Public Session
Buchanan gave instruction for how people can speak in the meeting.
He opened the public session and the following people spoke:
• Ken Gas spoke in favor of the Resolution affirming Racism as a
Public Health Crisis and the Ordinance Creating a Child and Family
Task Force.
• Heather Flaherty spoke in favor of the Resolution affirming Racism
as a Public Health Crisis.
Cathy Halka, Council Office, gave instruction on how to speak at the
meeting and the following additional people spoke:
• Shu-Ling Zhao spoke in favor of the Resolution affirming Racism as
a Public Health Crisis.
• Emily O'Connor spoke in favor of the Resolution affirming Racism
as a Public Heaitii Crisis.
• April Barker spoke in favor of the Resolution affirming Racism as a
Public Health Crisis.
Hearing no one else, Buchanan closed the Public Session.
Ordinance: Creating a Child and Family Task Force
Sterling Chick, Public Health Advisory Board Vice -Chair and Catholic
Community Services, briefed the Councilmembers on the proposed
Ordinance.
Donovan moved to recommend advancement of the Ordinance to the
County Council for adoption. The motion was seconded by Frazey.
Erika Lautenbach, Health Department Director, answered a question about
the Exhibit section titled "Staff and Funding Support" and whether the
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Health Department has or will, after funding, have the staff capacity, and
whether any thought was given to including in the task force membership
the faith -based community and other community members that maybe have
solutions for working through some of the issues that are identified.
Byrd moved to recommend an amendment to the Ordinance to remove the
list of permanent members from Exhibit A. The motion was seconded by
Kershner.
Councilmembers discussed the motion to amend and the following people
spoke:
• Chi-Na Stoane, Public Health Advisory Board Chair, answered how
the list of proposed task force members was determined, and what
her thoughts are on the proposed amendment.
• Satpal Sidhu, County Executive, spoke about the diversity
represented in the proposed list of permanent task force members.
• Sterling Chick stated the task force includes members that focus on
upstream prevention for children before entering school and who
offer a lot of expertise. He answered what ages this Ordinance would
target, and whether the two groups of task force members
(permanent and additional appointed members) should be divided
into two groups.
The motion to recommend an amendment failed by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Byrd, Elenbaas, and Kershner
Nay: 4 - Browne, Buchanan, Donovan, and Frazey
Kershner moved to recommend an amendment to the Ordinance to include
under the list of Additional Appointed Members the following list:
• Faith community
• Law enforcement
• Homeschool/private school
• Foster care mom or Dad
• Fathers
• High School Student
• College Age Student
• Elderly representative
• Hispanic/Black/Asian members
• Homeless teen
• Single Mom
• Two parent families
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The motion was seconded by Byrd.
Councilmembers discussed the motion to amend and whether the
discussion should be referred to the Public Works and Health Committee.
Kershner amended her motion to say 25 members including all of those
categories.
Councilmembers continued to discuss the motion to amend.
Buchanan moved to table the motion to recommend an amendment until
they have a chance to refer the item to Committee. The motion was
seconded by Donovan.
The motion to table the motion to recommend an amendment carried by the
following vote:
Aye: 6 - Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Frazey, Kershner, and Browne
Nay: 1 - Elenbaas
Buchanan moved to table the main motion and refer it to the Public Works
and Health Committee on October 13, 2020. The motion was seconded by
Browne.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, Frazey, Kershner, Browne, and Buchanan
Nay: 0
iIeso;iition: vacism as a i ublie; health Crisis
AB2020-431 Resolution affirming racism as a Public Health Crisis
Steve Bennett, Public Health Advisory Board (PHAB), presented and
briefed the Councilmembers on the proposed Resolution.
Donovan moved that the Resolution be approved. The motion was seconded
by Frazey.
Clerk's note: Browne had to leave the meeting during the following
discussion.
Councilmembers, Bennett, and Erika Lautenbach, Health Department
Director, discussed the Resolution.
Lautenbach provided a brief Health Department Director report and stated
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that in the next six to eight months three senior leaders in the Health
Department are set to retire and the department is beginning recruitment for
those positions soon. She then had to leave the meeting.
Astrid Newell, Health Department, answered which staff members are
planning to retire.
Bennett and Chi-Na Stoane, PHAB Chair, answered questions about the data
and definitions used in the presentation and the Resolution.
Councilmembers discussed how to proceed with the Resolution.
Byrd moved that they form a sub -committee with two Councilmembers,
Stoane, and Bennett to update the Resolution and bring it back to the Health
Board. The motion was seconded by Kershner.
Buchanan suggested a friendly amendment that Byrd split the motion into
two parts: to hold the item and then to form the sub -committee.
Byrd accepted the friendly amendment, Kershner seconded, and
Councilmembers voted on the the first motion to hold the item.
The motion to hold the item failed by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Elenbaas, Kershner, and Byrd
Nay: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Buchanan
Out of the Meeting: 1 - Browne
Dana Brown -Davis, Clerk of the Council, and the Councilmembers
discussed possible ways to proceed with the Resolution as the Health Board
or in Committee of the Whole and then the Council acting as the Health
Board.
Tammy Axlund, Health Department, stated the next Health Board meeting is
December 1, 2020.
Councilmembers and Brown -Davis discussed how to proceed with the
Resolution.
Donovan moved to hold the Resolution and to refer it to the Committee of
the Whole or Public Works and Health Committee on October 13, 2020 or
October 27, 2020. The motion was seconded by Frazey.
Councilmembers discussed the motion.
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The motion to hold and refer the item to Committee carried by the
following vote:
Aye: 5 - Elenbaas, Frazey, Buchanan, Byrd, and Donovan
Nay: 1 - Kershner
Out of the Meeting: 1 - Browne
Councilmembers, Stoane and Bennett discussed the second part of Byrd's
motion which was to form a subcommittee with two Councilmembers,
Stoane, and Bennett to update and bring forward a new proposed Resolution.
Buchanan moved to appoint Elenbaas and Browne as representatives of the
Health Board and request two people from the PHAB also work on updating
the Resolution. The motion was seconded by Byrd.
Elenbaas requested that the timeline be moved to the 27th of October.
Buchanan withdrew his motion and moved to reconsider Donovan's
motion to hold the Resolution and to refer it to Committee on October 13,
2020 or October 27, 2020. The motion was seconded by Donovan.
Buchanan withdrew his motion to reconsider and again moved to nominate
and appoint Browne and Elenbaas and request two people from the PHAB to
work on updating the Resolution. The motion was seconded by Byrd.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 6 - Frazey, Kershner, Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, and Elenbaas
Nav: 0
Out of the Meeting: 1 - Browne
Buchanan moved to reconsider the motion to hold the Resolution and to
refer it to the Committee on October 13, 2020 or October 27, 2020. The
motion was seconded by Donovan.
The motion to reconsider carried by the following vote:
Aye: 6 - Kershner, Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, and Frazey
Nay: 0
Out of the Meeting: 1 - Browne
Donovan moved to hold the item and to refer it to the Committee of the
Whole or Public Works and Health Committee on October 27, 2020. The
motion was seconded by Frazey.
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Councilmembers and Stoane discussed the motion
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 5 - Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, and Frazey
Nay: 1 - Kershner
Out of the Meeting: 1 - Browne
Approved motions:
Buchanan's motion to nominate and appoint Browne and Elenbaas and
request two people from the PHAB to work on updating the Resolution
carried 6-0-1 with Browne out of the meeting
and
Donovan's motion that the Resolution be REFERRED TO COMMITTEE
and sent to Committee of the Whole or Public Works and Health Committee
on October 27, 2020 carried by the following vote:
Aye: 5 - Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Frazey and Elenbaas
Nay: 1 - Kershner
Absent: 0
Temp Absent: 1 - Browne
Public Health Advisory Board (PHAB) Update
Chi-Na Stoane stated they have already covered their updates.
Director/Health Officer Report
Other Business
Adiournment
There was no report but Buchanan reiterated that there are three Health
Department staff vacancies coming up.
Elenbaas thanked Stoane for being welcoming.
The meeting adjourned at 2:04 p.m.
The County Council approved these minutes on October 27, 2020.
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Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription
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