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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHealth Board - Minutes - 8/11/2020Bayfield County Health Department 117 East Sixth Street - P.O. Box 403 - Washburn, WI 54891 Phone: 715/373-6109 Fax: 715/373-6307 Sara Wartman, BSN, RN, CLS Director / Health Officer BAYFIELD COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING Tuesday, August 11, 2020 – 5:00 PM Present: Fred Strand, Jeremy Oswald, Mary Dougherty, David Zepczyk, Terri Kramolis, Deb Dryer. Ellen Braddock, Tom Snilsberg Absent: Elaine Kopp Staff: Amy Jarecki, Sara Wartman 1. Call the Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m. by Chairman Oswald. Roll Call was done as this meeting was being held remotely. Introductions were made as well. 2. Approval July 14, 2020, Meeting Minutes: A motion to approve the July 14, 2020 meeting minutes was made by Snilsberg; motion seconded by Zepczyk. Motion carried. 3. Public Comment: None 4. Situational Update for COVID-19: Health Director, Sara Wartman, discussed the fact that the number of positive cases in Bayfield County, as well as in neighboring counties, has been increasing on a daily basis. This puts a burden on the County Health Departments as there may not be sufficient nursing staff available. Bayfield County Health Department has hired an additional full time Public Health Nurse as well as part time contact tracers to help alleviate the work load. Wartman discussed the new online face mask reporting tool that was developed after the state mask mandate was released. This document was meant to direct complaints away from law enforcement so that the 911 line is not tied up with phone calls. Wartman shared information from the previous COVID-19 testing site done in Iron River alongside the Wisconsin National Guard. 5. Review and Possible Acton Regarding 2020 Estimated Budget: Amy Jarecki, Office Manager, discussed the estimated budget for the remainder of 2020. A motion to recommend the 2020 estimated budget be sent on to the full County Board was made by Zepczyk; motion seconded by Kramolis. Motion carried. 6. Review and Possible Action Regarding 2021 Estimated Budget: Amy Jarecki, Office Manager, discussed the estimated budget for fiscal year 2021. A motion to recommend the 2021 estimated budget be sent on to the full County Board was made by Snilsberg; motion seconded by Dryer. Motion carried. 7. Update on Health Department Programs and Services: Wartman shared that the majority of the staff time has been directed to the local COVID-19 response. Bayfield County Health Department 117 East Sixth Street - P.O. Box 403 - Washburn, WI 54891 Phone: 715/373-6109 Fax: 715/373-6307 Sara Wartman, BSN, RN, CLS Director / Health Officer Bayfield County had minimal positive cases since late March, which enabled the staff to resume work on day-to-day programs. However, with the recent uptick in positive cases, staff is pulled back to COVID-19 response. Testing sites around the county was discussed along with plans to partner with neighboring counties. The local WIC program is still continuing to provide services by allowing visits to be done remotely, per the USDA guidelines. This may even continue well into 2021. Planning for the influenza clinics, especially for the local schools, has been pushed back due to working on COVID-19 issues. 8. Update on Health Department Staffing: Sarah Bellanger, who was hired as a full time Public Health Nurse, has started working remotely this week. Terri Bahe, former Public Health Nurse and Laurie St. Aubin were both hired to assist with contact tracing. The department also has the option of utilizing some of the Human Services staff to assist with contact tracing if needed. Public Health nurses will now be able to receive on-call pay. 9. Discussion Regarding COVID-19 Local Response and Planning: Wartman shared some of the information she uses to gauge the various safety levels of COVID-19 in the community. This is a tool for business owners to gauge how to operate their business. Wartman shared the reason behind not disclosing the address of the positive cases. Outbreaks and school closings were discussed and some options were talked about among board members. 10. Other Issues or Concerns: Ellen Braddock, board member, discussed the need for community members to take the safety of the community into their own hands and possibly encourage local leaders to do the same. David Zepczyk, board member, shared concern over the mask mandate and those who are not able to wear masks. Wartman discussed options as well as pointing out that there are exceptions to the mask mandate. 11. Next Meeting Date: Next meeting set for Tuesday, September 8th, 2020, 5:00 pm, remotely. 12. Adjourn: The meeting adjourned at 6:11 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Amy Jarecki Amy Jarecki, Office Manager