Kendall County Health & Environment Committee met Feb. 25.
Here is the minutes provided by the committee:
CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chair Judy Gilmour at 8:32a.m.
ROLL CALL
Attendee Status Arrived Left Meeting
Judy Gilmour Here
Robyn Vickers Here
Elizabeth Flowers Present
Tony Giles ABSENT
John Purcell Yes 8:46am
Others Present: Megan Andrews, KC Soil & Water District Resource Conservationist, Scott Koeppel, Kendall County Administrator, Hannah Raver, KC Soil & Water District Education Coordinator, Dr. Amaal Tokars, Kendall County Health Department Executive Director
APPROVAL OF AGENDA – Member Vickers made a motion to approve the agenda, second by Member Flowers. With four members present in agreement, the motion carried.
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES – Member Flowers made a motion to approve the meeting minutes from October 15, 2018, second by Member Vickers. With four members present voting aye, the motion carried.
STATUS REPORTS
➢ Board of Health – Dr. Tokars indicated that the Board of Health would be reviewing their Strategic Plan update. Dr. Tokars reported they do an update on their outcomes annually, they do a new plan every 5 years along with a Community Health Plan.
➢ Health Department – Dr. Tokars reported that the first meeting of the Solid Waste Advisory Committee is February 26, 5pm-7pm. This Committee is an Ad Hoc Committee with 12 stakeholders in the County. Member Gilmour and Chair Gryder are the County Board representatives for this committee. The Committee will meet 4 times and focus on source reduction, recycling and storage. Member Purcell asked about the importance of recycling and a transfer station. He would like to see those issues addressed. Dr. Tokars explained that recycling has become a bit expensive and complicated. Member Gilmour asked about e waste and strategies for that. Member Gilmour also emphasized education is key with a lot of questions from the general public about recycling. Member Vickers explained that her understanding is that recycling can be improved through simple education. Dr. Tokars will brief the committee on the findings of the Solid Waste Ad Hoc Committee as they go through their process.
Dr. Tokars reviewed the 10 Emergent Health Issues in 2019:
Antibiotics Resistance - Infections when people are not responding to antibiotics and have to retake medication.
Candida Auris - A fungal infection that is very resistant to treatment. This infection typically occurs in mostly inpatient facilities. No reports of infections in Kendall County. Member Flowers asked if this is contagious. Dr. Tokars indicated that it is not highly contagious but once it becomes an internal infection it is difficult to treat.
Drug Overdose – This is a national epidemic. Almost all counties in Illinois have been going up in 2017. Kendall County peaked in 2016. However, still a lot of significant problems. In Kendall County last year, the largest overdoses were from heroine, fentanyl and then other opioids including methadone. Seems like prescription opioid death has leveled off.
Hemorrhagic Fever – These are outbreaks that are mostly spread by bats and rats. Ebola outbreak in the Congo. Another disease Lassa found in Africa and Marburg discovered in Germany from lab work with monkeys from Africa. The serum for Ebola is just being developed and the efficacy on it is yet to be known. This affects Kendall County because in US people are not quarantined when they arrive from affected countries. We get notice that people are coming from O’Hare to Kendall County and need to be tracked because they have risk factors.
Legionella Outbreak – This is a disease that occurs in complex water systems and have killed a number of people in Illinois and around the country. This is found in places with large complex water systems; showers, fountains with mist (not water fountains), large water towers. This is something we monitor and watch for.
Measles – Measles has reemerged. It is the largest killer of children. Illinois and California has had the largest amount of cases in the country in 2018. Over 200 cases in Illinois in babies and many college students. While death is rare there are many risk factors including neurological damage. People need to get vaccinated
Resistant Tuberculosis (TB) – TB is actually on the increase in the United States. The cases are on the rise because of travel and immigration. It is important that the cases that occur are contained and there is compliance with taking medication. Infected people are asked to isolate themselves and individuals can be quarantined. What we are seeing with the resistant strain is that it is taking 5 times longer to treat. Even with latent cases we are seeing more cases become active. It is highly contagious.
STDs – The most common STD is HPV it’s a virus. In 2005 it was forecast 1 in 4 people would have it. Now in 2019 1 in 4 men are forecasted to contract it. This is most commonly contracted by children and people in their 20s. There is a vaccine. Girls are particularly vulnerable and should be tested every year because it can cause cervical cancer. Other STDs like chlamydia is sky rocketing around the country. Syphilis and Gonorrhea are also back. We are seeing comorbidity with heroin use, syphilis, hepatitis and HIV.
Suicide Escalation - More than 30% increase in suicides since 2000. It is the 10th leading cause of death. A lot of misunderstanding in about the trends. The people to most likely to die by suicide are middle age and caucasian men. United States leads death by suicide with firearm. In Kendall County the leading cause of suicide death has been suffocation or asphyxiation
Vaccine Hesitancy – More people are resistant to getting vaccines. It is important to respectfully address concerns about vaccine hesitancy. This hesitancy falls under 3 categories; safety, necessity and choice. Try to answer questions and if there is a family history of adverse effects then direct people to their personal physician for education and help to make informed decisions.
➢ Kendall County Soil and Water District – Megan Andrews briefed the committee about their Pond Workshop which would be on March 5th, in partnership with IDNR Fisheries Biologist. This workshop coincides with the tree and fish spring sales event. The sale information will be in the twice a year newsletter which would be coming out soon.
Ms. Andrews reported that they are working with Village of Oswego on a Soil and Erosion Workshop. Also they just wrapped up their Annual Meeting where several awards were given.
Ms. Andrews also reported that with being co-located with the USDA office during the shutdown they were able to stay in the building this time. The USDA has a new Federal Farm Bill so she will be working with them on that. This provides program opportunities for agricultural land owners. On the state side they have cost share to help local land owners both rural and urban landscapes.
Finally, Ms. Andrews wanted to thank the County Board for the Kind Contribution and the opportunity to have education storage space, with Kendall and Grundy Farm Bureau merging more storage space was needed.
Hannah Raver, Education Coordinator, stated that they were heading over to Pickerill House today for a tour. She is just wrapping up her Diary Presentations in the schools and is working on an Earth Day presentation emphasizing recycling. For summer activities they are looking to do their Natural Resource Tour at Hoover.
➢ Water Related Groups - None
OLD BUSINESS – None
NEW BUSINESS
➢ Discussion and Approval of Resolution Reducing Behavioral Health Conditions in Jails – Dr. Tokars reported that the Board of Health and the Sheriff have already signed the resolution in the Fall and it is in the implementation phase. There is an enormous correlation between behavioral health and incarceration. To the Sheriff’s credit they were already doing screenings. This would be a more robust screening of inmates so inmates can be referred to mental health and other services upon their release. Inmates could also be treated differently based on the results of the screening. Scott Koeppel asked about fiscal impacts. Dr. Tokars indicated that currently there are no additional costs associated with the screenings. The process is just a bit more robust so inmates can receive services in jail and then connecting them to services when they leave if they so choose. Member Flowers made a motion to forward the Resolution to the March 5th, County Board Meeting second by Member Vickers. With three members present voting aye the motion carried.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT – Member Gilmour welcomed Member Robyn Vickers our new Board Member to the Committee. She also noted that Member Vickers represents the Board on the 708 Mental Health Board.
PUBLIC COMMENT – None
ITEMS FOR COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE – None
COUNTY BOARD ACTION ITEMS – Approval of Resolution Reducing Behavioral Health Conditions in Jails
EXECUTIVE SESSION – Not Needed
ADJOURNMENT – Member Flowers made a motion to adjourn the meeting, second by Member Vickers. With no objections, the meeting was adjourned at 9:29 a.m.
https://www.co.kendall.il.us/Home/ShowDocument?id=2441
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