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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH May 24, 2006 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 7 May 24, 2006 D. Policy Recommendation on Community Water Testing Rosemary Summers reported that Health Department staff has been requested by the Board of County Commissioners to develop a strategy and policy statement on when community water testing or septic system survey campaigns are warranted. Staff put together some ideas and Board of Health members were provided with the resulting draft parameters developed by staff. Jessica Lee suggested staff determine “flags” or indicators of problem areas to be alert for and questioned whether the staff could reference department policy for an outbreak as a guideline when a community requests or raises a flag about a health concern. This item will come back to the Board at the next meeting. E. Budget Public Hearings The Board of Commissioners is holding two public hearings on the 2006-20007 budget; May 30 at Southern Human Services Center and June 1 at the Battle Courtroom in Hillsborough. Both begin at 7:30 pm. Traditionally, several Board members have signed up to attend each public hearing and speak about high priority items in the department budget. This year is particularly important since the county budget seems to be stretched thin and the department has several high priority needs. The County Manager directed the budget staff to revert all line items that had been cut 25% in last year’s budget to that amount for this budget with no increases allowed. Those line items were: travel, training, office supplies, departmental supplies, dues, uniforms, and duplicating. The most problematic for the Health Department are training, departmental supplies, dues and duplicating. If no further cuts are made and the department is allowed to transfer between line items after the budget is approved, most divisions should be able to barely manage. The Manager is also proposing the creation of a new line entitled Certification Training that should help protect training funds for those positions that have specific requirements for continuing education and certification. High priority needs for the Health Department to gain approval of this year include: • Transition of the Volunteer Coordinator to county funding • Addition of a food and lodging program supervisor • Addition of an environmental health specialist for the Wastewater Treatment Management Program • Transition of the remaining 25% of the Healthy Carolinians Coordinator salary and benefits to county funding • Technology and equipment needs Jessica Lee volunteered to attend the June 1 meeting and Alan Rimer and Matt Vizithum tentatively volunteered to attend the May 30 meeting. It will also be prudent for the Board to keep watch on the Water Protection strategic plan requests.