HomeMy WebLinkAboutHealth Board Nov 30 2021Whatcom County
Council as the Health Board
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360) 778-5010
Minutes - Final
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
10 AM
Virtual Meeting
COUNCILMEMBERS
Rud Browne
Barry Buchanan
Tyler Byrd
Todd Donovan
Ben Elenbaas
Carol Frazey
Kathy Kershner
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council as the Health Board Minutes - Final November 30, 2021
Call To Order
Roll Call
Health Board Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 10 a.m.
in a virtual meeting.
Present: 7 - Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, Carol Frazey, Ben
Absent: None
Public Comment
Elenbaas, and Kathy Kershner
Buchanan opened the public comment period and hearing no one, closed the
public comment period.
Director and Health Officer Report
The following people presented:
• Erika Lautenbach, Health Department Director
• Greg Thompson, Co -Health Officer
• Amy Harley, Co -Health Officer
Lautenbach reported on the Health Department.
Thompson and Harley gave a brief epidemiology update and spoke about the
Omicron COVID-19 variant.
The speakers answered questions about the primary COVID-19 variant in
What(:om County at the- time of the meeting and the 60 added positions in
the Health Department during the pandemic.
Lautenbach gave a summary of recent flood response by the Health
Department.
Councilmembers and the speakers discussed whether the Health
Department responded to staffing needs as requested by the Emergency
Operations Center (EOC) due to the floods, concerns about short staffing in
the EOC, whether they are seeing COVID-19 cases in emergency shelters
and what is in place there to help with the spread of the virus, when updates
on new COVID-19 variants will come to an end with an acceptance that this
is part of our life in light of the new Omicron variant, the use of volunteers
for emergency response, and public perception of the initial coordination
and response of the County to the flood event.
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Council as the Health Board Minutes - Final November 30, 2021
Update on Racial Equity Meeting with Boards/Commissions
AB2021-718 Update on Racial Equity Meeting with Boards/Commissions
The following people presented:
• Steve Bennett, Public Health Advisory Board
• Leah Wainman, Public Health Advisory Board
• Astrid Newell, Health Department
The speakers answered questions about taking the model used by groups
associated with the Health Department or the Public Health Advisory Board
(PHAB) to look at policies and procedures as it concerns racial equity and
expanding that to other advisory committees, ensuring that there is training
and establishing a process to take when the training is not followed, whether
there has been discussion about what the barriers are to increasing diversity
in board membership, and looking at barriers that keep people from
effectively accessing the County website.
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.
Update on Way Station Planning
AB2021-720 Update on Way Station Planning
Other Business
Adiournment
The following people presented:
• Chris Kobdish, Unity Care Northwest
• Teri Bryant, Whatcom Homeless Service Center and Opportunity
Council
• Rob Ney, Administrative Services Department Facilities
They answered how many people can stay at the respite care area at one
time and when that will come online.
This agenda item was PRESENTED AND DISCUSSED.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 11:18 a.m.
The County Council approved these minutes on January 11, 2022.
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Council as the Health Board Minutes - Final November 30, 2021
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Kristi Felbinggr,` Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
ATCOM COUNTY, WA
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