4- Fund 1900 Memo regarding 2022 budget increase request 1900
September 24th, 2021
To: Erik Martin, Becky Butler, BOCC
From: JP Anderson
Re: 2022 expenditure increase request for Funds 1900 (PH)
Funding and request overview
Next week our Department will be receiving a $600,000.00 increase in Foundational Public Health Services funding from the State of Washington. These dollars are restricted to Public
Health services in our Local Health Jurisdiction and must be used for costs incurred between July 1st, 2021 through June 30th, 2022. We will receive this same allocation for State Fiscal
Year 2022/2023 and anticipate these funds continuing beyond the current biennium.
We request using these funds to create 4 new FTE’s, assuring sustainable funding for 2 existing positions, and expanding the duties of 1 position. The reminder of these funds we request
supplies for these new positions as outlined in the attached Excel Document titled Increase request form 2022, tab FPHS spending plan.
New Positions
Environmental Health/Code Enforcement Manager
This position will lead our Environmental Health and Code Enforcement teams. As a new exempt manager in our Department, this position will be responsible for long-range planning and
policy development around issues of Environmental Health and Code Enforcement, additional administrative oversight, inter-department and multi-department process improvements to enhance
and expedite services to the community.
Food Inspection Program Supervisor
This position will provide supervision to our 2 current food inspector positions with 20% of their time and conduct food inspections and support operations in the field with 80% of their
time. In creating this position, we will be adding a significant increase to our capacity to conduct food inspection and restaurant applications.
Solid Hazardous Waste Specialist
This position will provide solid and hazardous waste investigations and mitigation efforts in the field as well as coordinating these efforts between LCPHSS, Public Works, and Community
Development. Currently multiple staff from Environmental Health and Code Enforcement are completing these tasks. In creating this position will be addressing capacity issues across
our Environmental Health and Code Enforcement teams.
Epidemiologist, Nurse, or Health Educator
This additional position will allow us the flexibility to hire personnel from a variety of backgrounds in order to support Communicable Disease work in Lewis County. This new permanent
position will perform communicable disease operations as well as community-wide information and education efforts beyond COVID-19 to including Hepatitis C, Tuberculosis, and common
Sexually Transmitted Infections.
Sustained funding
Epidemiologist II
This position is currently funded through a variety of one time grant and COVID related funding sources. Going forward we would like to fund this position using FPHS funds. This position
performs a variety of research, community engagement, and information and data support to our Department.
Community Outreach Worker
This position is currently funded using one time grant and COVID related funding sources. Going forward we would like this position to be funded using FPHS funds. This position currently
is working primarily on our COVID response. Going forward this position will be working closely with our communicable disease team to support casework and provide information and
Expanded duties
Communicable Disease Nurse II to Communicable Disease Nurse III
If approved this position will take on additional supervision duties of communicable disease and Community Outreach Worker staff.
Advantages
These improvements in Environmental Health will address current shortfalls in capacity that have become growingly apparent as our community grows. These increases in Environmental Health
will allow our Department provide the necessary attention to the long range planning needs of issues pertaining to Environmental Health such as local plans integrating new State requirements
on septic systems and other development related operations. Additionally it will dramatically increase our capacity to provide the routine services constituents rely on such as restaurant
opening plans and temporary food establishment applications.
These additions to our Communicable Disease team will provide the long-term sustainability needed to hire and secure employees looking for permanent secure employment in their field.
It will also allow us to make meaningful steps in addressing disease and health related community interventions beyond COVID-19.
Implications of denial
If denied we would not have a clear path forward for using the FPHS dollars we have worked to secure for over a decade. All of the positions outlined above will be working in areas
already defined as our responsibility clearly fall within our mission of promoting a Safe, Healthy, and Thriving Lewis County!
Thank you for your consideration of this request. I look forward to speaking with you all more on this proposal and answering any questions you may have.
Thank you for your consideration,
JP Anderson, MSW
Lewis County Public Health& Social Services, Director