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<br />MINUTES
<br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COP4MISSIONER5
<br />MAY 2Z, 1978
<br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session an
<br />Monday, May 22, 1978, at 6:30 p.m., at Poppa Joe's Restaurant in Hillsborough.
<br />The purpose of the meeting was to hear a budget-program review by the County
<br />Health Board and staff.
<br />Commissioners present were Chairman Richard Whitted, Norman Gustaveson,
<br />Jan Pinney, Norman Walker and Donald Willhoit.
<br />Health Board members present were Chairman Dr. William Mayes, Evelyn
<br />Lloyd, Dr. Morris Shiffman, and Commissioner Willhoit also serves as a member
<br />of the Board of Health.
<br />Others present were S. M.'Gattis, County Manager, Neal Evans, Finance
<br />Officer, Jerry Robinson, Health Director, Tony Laws, Chief Sanitarian,
<br />Margaret McClintock, Nursing Supervisor, Joe Bradshaw, Administrative Assist-
<br />ant, and Agatha Johnson, Clerk to the Board.
<br />Chairman Whitted opened the meeting by expressing the appreciation of
<br />the Board to the Health Board for .their first year of service to the County.
<br />Dr. Mayes stated that the programs which ,are proposed for the future
<br />are necessary to meet the needs of the people of the County. They are so
<br />structured to coordinate with services which are provided by other health
<br />related organizations in the County. He stated that many times one cannot
<br />see direct effects of services immediately, but that definite results are
<br />seen years later.
<br />Dr. Noyes asked the Health Directox, Jerry Robinson, to review with the
<br />Board plans of haw the Health Department should be set up fox the coming year,
<br />and how needs can be met.
<br />Jerry Robinson distributed for the Commissioners' brief review, copies
<br />of Standards for Local Health De artments in North Carolina. He stated
<br />that the Health Board would like to be in concert with these standards,
<br />however, at present the Orange County Health Department is not meeting these
<br />standards, but is making efforts to move in that direction.
<br />Mr. Robinson presented to the Board comparisons of Orange Ccunty''s
<br />Health Department to Departments in nine other counties in the State, with
<br />like populations. The comparisons showed the per capita appropriation per
<br />county, the general tax rate for the counties, the total appropriation per
<br />county for Health Departments and the total staff size of County Departments
<br />as compared to Orange County. Mr. Robinson pointed out that out of the
<br />ten counties compared, Orange County usually is found in number nine position.
<br />He stated that Orange County has been designated as a medically over-
<br />served county and this rating does damage to the Health Department, whereas
<br />the Department is not eligible for certain federal reimbursements. He added
<br />that he had been informed that the Health Systems Agency intended to recom-
<br />ment in July, 1978, thatNorthern Orange County be separated from the remain-
<br />der of the County, and this will open avenues for other funding of programs.
<br />Mr. Robinson asked Tony Laws, Chief Sanitarian, to speak of the Environ~
<br />mental Health Program.
<br />Mr. Laws stated that major services expected from his department are
<br />restaurant inspections and sewer disposal inspections. Sanitarians are
<br />responsible for the quality of milk produced by county farmers. Sanitarians
<br />are involved with the milk processing which includes the quality of water an
<br />animal might drink to evaluating the handling and storage of milk and milk
<br />products sold in retail stores. The Health Department is vitally concerned
<br />with private water supplies. Tt is estimated•'.that 700 wells will be inspected
<br />during 1978-79, resulting in at least 1000 visits to various sites, and taking
<br />about 15~ of staff time. He stated that water supplies and sewer disposal
<br />weigh heavily with the Department's concern by the increase number of migrant
<br />camps in the County. This year there will be more than 35 such camps.
<br />Another concern of the Sanitarians is to provide a program of control of the
<br />storage, collection, transportation, and disposal of solid waste and the
<br />relation of such to rodent control.
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