HomeMy WebLinkAboutHealth Board - Minutes - 2/11/2025
Healthy people, communities and environment for a superior Bayfield County.
Bayfield County Health Department
117 East Sixth Street - P.O. Box 403 - Washburn, WI 54891 Phone: 715/373-6109
Fax: 715/373-6307
Anne-Marie Coy, REHS/RS, MPHc
Director of Public Health/Health Officer
BAYFIELD COUNTY
BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING
Tuesday February 11, 2025 – 5:00 PM
Present: Mary Dougherty, Kathleen Carlson (via telephone), Madelaine Rekemeyer, Diane Erickson, Jan
Lee, Dr. Kathryn Stolp (via Teams), Terri Kramolis, Jeff Olsen
Absent: Fred Strand
Staff: Anne-Marie Coy, Amy Jarecki
1. Call the Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 5:02 p.m. by
Rekemeyer.
2. Approval of December 10, 2024, Board of Health Meeting Minutes: A motion to
approve the December 10, 2024 meeting minutes was made by Lee; motion seconded by
Kramolis. Motion carried.
3. Public comment: None.
4. Update on Comprehensive Plan Objective 3 Action 1: Coy shared the objectives
assigned to the Health Department, which includes developing and implementing a
Health in All Policies ordinance. Much discussion around the various options that will
need to be considered to implement the policies. The Health Department is also
working on a countywide plan to provide guidance to municipalities regarding climate
change induced impacts to local waste and water treatment plants. The Health
Department did have a summer intern working on gathering background on climate
change and how it will affect the area. He found that the climate will be warmer and
wetterand that waste water treatment plants were not included in any of the emergency
response plans. This prompted a preparedness table top exercise that included Health
Department staff, Emergency Management staff and staff from the local water treatment
plants. The final objective, which is to develop a best practices guidance document
detailing opportunities for County support of schools, libraries and municipal and tribal
human services programs is currently being worked on.
5. Discussion and Possible Action Regarding Resolution to Accept the Teen
Pregnancy Prevention Grant: The Health department is working with the Bayfield
school on a pilot project to provide curriculum on reproductive, sexual and relationship
health, pregnancy prevention, and sexually transmitted disease prevention for their
health class. If the project is successful, it will be expanded to more grades in the
Bayfield school as well as other school districts. This grant ends June 30, 2025 and Coy
Healthy people, communities and environment for a superior Bayfield County.
Bayfield County Health Department
117 East Sixth Street - P.O. Box 403 - Washburn, WI 54891 Phone: 715/373-6109
Fax: 715/373-6307
Anne-Marie Coy, REHS/RS, MPHc
Director of Public Health/Health Officerwill need to reapply for more funding to continue the
project. Bayfield school was chosen as they are currently
providing most of the same curriculum; this will be an updated version. Funds will be
used to provide updated training and certification. Motion to accept the resolution and
forward onto the full County Board for approval was made by Dougherty; motion seconded by
Lee. Motion carried.
6. Discussion and Possible Action Regarding Environmental Health Fee
Increase to keep up with State Fee increase: The Wisconsin Department of
Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has created new categories in
the Environmental Health fee schedule that the Health Department will need to
update. In addition, DATCP has increased their reimbursement fees from ten percent
(10%) to thirteen percent (13%) and will continue to increase up to fifteen percent
(15%) by the year 2027. This will lessen the amount of revenue that the county keeps
and uses to operate the Environmental Health program. Coy shared two (2) options to
consider when looking at increasing fees at the county level. Splitting out the amount
that is sent to the state from the amount that the county keeps in order to maintain
transparency was an option discussed. Motion to increase the Environmental Health fees to
reflect the one percent (1%) increase to the state and a three percent (3%) increase to the
County for the 2025-2026 license fees and forward onto the fully County Board for approval
was made by Dougherty; motion seconded by Erickson. Motion carried.
7. Update on Health Department Funding: Coy shared that not much information
has been received from the state regarding the status of future funding. The state WIC
office has made us aware of a decrease in funding for the SNAP-ED grant. There will
also be a cut in Medicaid reimbursements. Our WIC program does not rely on these
funding sources, but they are in addition to the grant that funds the WIC program,
which does not look to be changing. Since our vaccine program does not rely on grant
funding, our vaccination program looks to not be affected other than possibly not
having as many out clinic sites as in years past. Staff time is the only expense that we
will be scaling back on for vaccine clinics.
8. Update on Health Department Programs and Services:
a. Water Supply Program: The ordinance has passed and the Department is
now working with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to set it up.
The DNR would like our staff to do enforcement, instead of the state staff, if
there are wells that have been abandoned and not property sealed.
b. Reproductive Health/Family Planning On-site State Review: End of
January, a representative from the state came on-site to review the Health
Department Reproductive Health program and facilities. The review went well.
Healthy people, communities and environment for a superior Bayfield County.
Bayfield County Health Department
117 East Sixth Street - P.O. Box 403 - Washburn, WI 54891 Phone: 715/373-6109
Fax: 715/373-6307
Anne-Marie Coy, REHS/RS, MPHc
Director of Public Health/Health Officerc. TPP (Teen Pregnancy Prevention): This is the
grant that was discussed earlier in the meeting.
d. Opioid Settlement Programming: Coy and Holly Weber, RN met with
CESA 12 staff, who are leading the Botvin training program in the local schools.
9. Update on Health Department Staffing:
a. EM/Health Clerk Position: Position still needs to be filled.
b. Breastfeeding Peer Counselor: This position is filled through the WIC
program and has been filled by the WIC clerk for the last fifteen (15) years. Both
the WIC program and the Peer Counselor program have told us that our Peer
Counselor no longer fits the criteria and we will need to find a new counselor.
This full time clerk will have her job duties moved around in order to keep her
full time status. Sara Wartman, WIC Director, has been in contact with the
Ashland Birthing Center as they have dulas in training who have breastfed and
spend time in contact with breastfeeding mothers.
10. Committee Input: The Public Health vending machine is still waiting for a final place
to call home. Coy has been in touch with the Town of Iron River who initially sounded
like they wanted the machine placed in their area. Erickson mentioned that the vending
machine that was placed in Red Cliff is working out very well.
11. Next Meeting Date:
Next scheduled Health Board meeting for Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 5:00 pm, in-person in
the EOC and/or remotely via Teams or phone-in option.
12. Adjourn: The meeting adjourned at 6:22 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Amy Jarecki
Amy Jarecki, Office Manager