Riley County - Manhattan
Board of Health Meeting
December 1, 2010


Mindy Robbins, Child Care Licensing and Smart Start Supervisor presented the Department Highlight in the continuing development of the Board’s understanding of the activities of the Health Department as well as getting to know the staff and their responsibilities. Ms. Robbins presented a power point delineating the ongoing plan for eliminating registered child care and replacing it with licensed child care which provides care givers with education and inspection. The state is involved as a consequence of “Lexie’s” law passed last year when a child died in child care because of insufficient supervision and dangerous equipment. Last year there were 94 licensed childcare facilities and 23 registered. This year there are 104 licensed child care rease trap” issue and do the paper work involved as well as the issuing and revoking of permits. Mr. Murphy contends that the Health Department does not have the staff to carry out these functions. The city then suggested that in that case, the funding for local food inspections may be rescinded. Mr. Murphy will be meeting with the city in January and wants guidance from the Board.
Mr. Murphy set out three options for the Board to consider.
1. Give the Grease trap responsibility to the City and split the County and City food inspector between them. Mr. Murphy states that this option severely limits the inspections.
2. Accept the entire “grease trap” program and hire additional staff and buy the addition equipment needed. This option requires additional budgeting at a difficult time.
3. Split the responsibility between the City and the Department leaving the paper work and the enforcement to the City and the inspections to the Health Department.
After a thorough discussion principally considering the second and third options the Board voted to back the third option.
Under new business, the Board changed the usual date for the next meeting to the third Wednesday in January so that more Board members could attend.
It was decided that no cost of living raises would be give in 2011, The Board discussed the cafeteria Contributions for 2011. These were passed by the Board as presented.
Mr. Murphy requested approval for a replacement of a pickup truck at $18306. Brady Burton, Board President offered a suggestion that a used vehicle can be available at half the price from a reliable entity that deals only with institutional purchases. Mr. Murphy stated that the Department does not have a vehicle maintenance department as schools do and that a new vehicle is a safer choice. The Board approved the purchase of the new vehicle but suggested that the used plan be investigated the next time.
Deb Nuss, a member of Clean Air Manhattan, suggested that the Health Department might want to join in the effort to educate students about tobacco use. The Board decided to invite Dr. Gardner, who is planning the effort at the High School,
to come and talk to the Board at a future meeting. Mr. Murphy reminded the Board that the department had lost their tobacco money.
Karen McCulloh added to the agenda a discussion of an Accreditation and Consolidation study. Mr. Murphy noted that Accreditation takes a great deal of time and effort but at some time it may be important to receive federal funding.

Sue Cohen, Observer