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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH November 20, 2003 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 5 November 20, 2003 nature and reflect changes that have occurred in the State rules; changes for clarification or correction; or sometimes new initiatives. The rule amendments in the proposed draft are mostly minor. Several involve only moving passages from one section to a more appropriate place with the rules. A copy of the proposed changes will be posted on the Environmental Health website. The Animal Control/Environmental Health Committee has reviewed these draft amendments and Ron Holdway presented a summary of changes to the Board. Board members agreed to defer further discussion to the December meeting. The ACEH Committee will prepare a synopsis for presentation at that time. D. Update on Public Health Preparedness The Coordinator has been a contract position with the Health Department for about six months. Since the department is about to move into a continuing phase with these activities, Carla Julian provided an update for the Board on where the department stands in terms of preparedness activities and continuing needs and the status of the volunteer recruitment and training effort. E. 2003 Community Assessment The Health Department through its contract agreement process with the state is responsible for conducting a community assessment once every four years. That assessment must meet certain criteria, including widespread community involvement and it must include both secondary and primary data analysis. The Orange County Healthy Carolinians Council has taken on the task of managing the community assessment process this year. Maria Hitt, The Coordinator of Healthy Carolinians, has worked very hard to ensure that a broad spectrum of community agencies and residents are involved in this process. The Board received a copy of the draft document at the meeting. Maria Hitt gave a short presentation to the Board. Board members were requested to send written, email or phone comments to Maria Hitt or the Health Director prior to Thanksgiving. Those comments will be integrated into the draft what will be submitted as a final on December 1. Staff will present the final report and the beginning action plans to the Healthy Carolinians Council, the Board of Health, and other interested community members from 5 to 7 pm just prior to the regular Board of Health meeting in January. VI. Board Comments/Announcements A. Alan Rimer discussed the relative positions that the Health Department could take with respect to animal control, the shelter, and the whole picture of managing this process over time that was discussed at the last meeting. There were several issues that came out of that discussion. There are some clear health issues associated with animal control that cannot be overlooked. Board members expressed the opinion that if the service of the shelter operation is moved outside of the Health Department and the Board of Health that the Board would run the risk of abdicating its responsibility for