AGENDA DATE: 12/2/2015
TITLE:
Title
Fiscal Year 2016 County of Albemarle and State Health Department Local Government Agreement
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Approve FY16 Agreement with the State Board of Health for the provision of public health services through the Thomas Jefferson Health District (TJHD)
ITEM TYPE: Consent Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Foley, Walker, Davis, Herrick
PRESENTER (S): N/A
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Thomas C. Foley
BACKGROUND: Virginia Code § 32.1-31 allows local governing bodies to enter into contracts with the State Board of Health for the operation of local health departments. It also requires that these contracts specify the services to be provided in addition to those required by law and contain such other provisions as the State Board and the governing body may agree on. The County’s contract specifies both the scope and costs for the services to be provided locally.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Goal 7. Operational Capacity: Ensure County government’s ability to provide high quality service that achieves community priorities.
DISCUSSION: The Thomas Jefferson Health District (TJHD), in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Health, is the primary provider of public health services and programs for Albemarle County and surrounding localities. TJHD offers specific health programs targeted at preventing and controlling infectious diseases as well as initiatives aimed at improving the health of low income women, children and infants. In addition, the Health District provides an inspection and monitoring program to ensure the safety of food and private well/septic systems. These services are funded cooperatively by the State, County and other neighboring jurisdictions. Non-local funding for these TJHD programs is provided by the Commonwealth of Virginia, grants and income from local fees charged to individual clients. The localities served by TJHD provide matching local funds for the allocations made by the State and allocate resources for Local-Only Programs such as food safety. The Virginia Department of Health requires that local governments enter into agreements stipulating the scope of health services to be provided by the TJHD to citizens in their respective jurisdictions. The FY16 agreement (Attachment A) has been reviewed and approved as to form by the County Attorney’s Office. Attachment B is an attachment to the Agreement, and sets forth services to be provided by the TJHD.
BUDGET IMPACT: Pursuant to the funding formula set by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission and based on the State’s FY16 contribution of $827,005 to the TJHD, the County’s required match for Cooperative State and Local Matched Programs in FY16 is $676,640, and the required contribution for the Local-Only (Unmatched) food inspection program is $838, for a total of $677,478. The Health Department had a FY15 year-end savings in the amount of $36,650, of which $838 will offset the County’s required contribution for the Local-Only food inspection program, and the remaining $35,812 will offset the County’s required contribution of $676,640 for Cooperative State and Local Matched Programs, reducing the required County FY16 contribution for those Programs to $640,828 and the required County contribution for the Local-Only food inspection program to zero, for a total of $640,828. The County has appropriated $640,828 in FY16 for the TJHD.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Based on the vital nature of the services provided by the TJHD, staff recommends that the Board adopt the attached Resolution (Attachment C) to approve the FY 16 County of Albemarle and State Health Department Local Government Agreement (Attachment A) and to authorize the County Executive to execute that Agreement.
ATTACHMENTS:
A - FY16 Local Government Health Department Agreement
B - Attachment to Local Government Health Department Agreement
C - Resolution