Health Board

THE RILEY COUNTY-MANHATTAN BOARD OF HEALTH
February 23, 2011
Observer Report

Condensed report of the January meeting gleaned from the minutes.

I was unable to attend the January Board meeting because of the weather.
However, I’d like to include some information from the minutes of that meeting in
this report. Dr. James D. Gardner spoke about the continuing need for prevention
of smoking in young people. The Board approved continuing this effort despite the loss
of the tobacco grant money.
Two new members have been appointed to the Board. Barbara Sollner will
take the nursing position and Dr. Rick Fulton will represent the dentists. The officers
for this year will be the same as last year: Brady Burton as President, Dr. Paul Hesse as
Vice President, and Doug Finney as Treasurer.
Charles Murphy, Administrator reported that a case of cholera had been confirmed
in a person recently returned from Haiti and that head lice had been reported in the schools
and was believed to be under control. Mr. Murphy also reported that the city has decided to
keep the grease trap management program with the public works department. (See previous
reports for background).
Mr. Murphy, concerned that the Health Department would be unable to enforce the
their food service code without a local ordinance giving them that authority, passed
out two examples of food codes adopted by other cities. The Board wondered if a local
code would be a duplication of services since the State is also doing food service inspections.
Mr. Murphy stated that one state inspection is insufficient to protect the public from unsafe
conditions in food establishments in the City and County and was the reason local inspection
was sought and given to the Department by the City. Further discussion produced the request
to have the Kansas Department of Agriculture send someone to explain the state inspection
program to the Board.
Lastly, the Board considered accepting Medicaid patients in the Primary Clinic at
the Health Department and directed the administration to seek the possibility of including Medicaid patients.


Actually Observed Report of February Health Board Meeting.

Charles Murphy, Department Administrator, reported that next year’s funding appears to be at risk as the State Budget may potentially remove all Family Planning funds, the remaining County Inspector for sanitary code enforcement funds, and 28% cuts to Emergency Preparation funds. The only remaining State funds, called Formula Funds, are also being considered for reduction. This will necessitate starting the budgeting discussions later than normally and until things are more clear.
Deb Nuss reported that the Administrative Evaluation and Job Description Committee had met and are working on a draft description of a plan for hiring a replacement for Mr. Murphy. She expected it to be ready for the March meeting.
There was no report from any supervisory departments. Karen McCulloh requested that this plan be continued for the benefit of the education of the Board members.
Discussion of the proposal for a Manhattan Food Service Code was next on the agenda. The planned meeting with the Department of Agriculture concerning their food service inspection program did not materialize. It was decided to request their
appearance again. There was some suggestion that there was some anxiety involved in the decision not to appear so Dr. Hesse suggested that some specific questions be developed to help them understand why the Board wanted to hear them. Discussion continued with some disagreement between Mr. Murphy and Lauren Palmer, Assistant City Manager and member of the Board, as to the need for a local ordinance. Deb Nuss, who represents the County on the Board, noted that the whole issue began when the Board and the City felt that food service inspections in Manhattan and Riley County should be held to a higher standard. This issue had been complicated by the grease trap issue which has now been resolved. The Board decided that they still needed to hear from the Department of Agriculture before determining any action.
The Board then went into executive session which lasted until 2:00 PM so the Board decided to table the rest of the agenda until March due to the hour.

Sue Cohen, Observer