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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-030RESOLUTION NO.92-30 i A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, EXPRESSING OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED REORGANIZATION OF THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS WHICH INCLUDES THE TRANSFER OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS FROM THE RESPONSIBILITY OF COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH UNITS TO OTHER ASSORTED STATE AGENCIES; PROVIDING AUTHORITY FOR THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO TARE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY ACTION TO FURNISH THIS RESOLUTION TO THE INDIAN RIVER COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION; THE MEMBERS OF THE HEALTH AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES (HRS) COMMITTEES OF BOTH LEGISLATIVE BODIES FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA; THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, Chapter 154 of the Florida Statutes provides for the establishment of and the authority for the HRS -Indian River County Public Health Unit as a joint endeavor of both the State of Florida and Indian River County; and WHEREAS, the Florida Legislature has delegated to the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (,,IIRS,,) the responsibility for the state public health system to promote, protect, and improve the health of all people in the state; and WHEREAS, HRS, in cooperation with Indian River County, through the HRS -County Public Health Unit is responsible for carrying out the mission of public health in Indian River County by focusing attention on identifying, assessing, and controlling the spread of communicable diseases and monitoring and regulating those factors in the environment which may impair the public's health; and WHEREAS, the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners acknowledges that there is a perceived effort to remove environmental health programs from the responsibility of the HRS -Indian River County Public Health Unit and to transfer said responsibility to an assortment of other less accessible and less responsive state agencies; and WHEREAS, the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners supports the concept of government closer to the people and opposes such a transfer as these programs are vital to the protection and safety of the health and citizens of Indian River County; and WHEREAS, all 67 counties in the state have available trained environmental health staff located in an accessible county public health unit, and no other state agency that would be considered in the transfer of environmental health functions is known to have a local office or local presence in each county; and WHEREAS, in 1991, the Legislature revised Chapter 381, Florida Statutes, to state that the HRS -County Public Health Unit's environmental health programs are a major part of fulfilling the states public health mission and define the environmental health programs to include, but not to be limited to, the following: 1. a food protection function, 2. a drinking water function, 3. a surveillance of indoor air quality function, 4, a toxicology and hazard assessment function, 5. a sanitary nuisance function, 6. a migrant labor function, 7. a public facilities function, 8. an onsite sewage disposal function, 9. a bio -hazardous waste control function, 10. a function to control disease transmitted from animals to humans, 11. an environmental epidemiology function, 12. a mosquito and pest control function, 13. a radiation control function, 14. a public swimming pool and bathing place function, and 15. a mobile home and recreational vehicle park function; and t. WHEREAS, the transfer of the responsibility for these concerns to an assortment of out -of -county state agencies would lead to confusion and inaccessibility for the general public; and WHEREAS, the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners agrees that there is excessive duplication and fragmentation of environmental programs and environmental health programs between state agencies that result in increased costs, and undue duplication and confusion to the general public as to who is the responsible agency; and WHEREAS, with the already established public perception that local public health units are the first line of contact in regard to environmental or environmental health concerns, a more prudent and economic division of programatic responsibilities would be to increase the role of the HRS - County Public Health Unit in environmental and public health regulations; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, THAT: Section 1. The Indian River County Board of County Commissioners opposes the removal of environmental health programs from the responsibility of the HRS -County Public Health Units and the transfer of said responsibilities to other state agencies. Additionally, the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners would suggest that many of those programs currently in existence at regional agencies could be better carried out in the local area, through contracts with the local public health unit program. Section 2. The Indian River County Board of County Commissioners supports its position by furnishing this resolution in support thereof to the Governor of the State of Florida, the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Florida, the Indian River County Legislative Delegation, and the honorable members of the respective HRS committees of both Houses of the Florida Legislature. RESOLUTION NO. 92-30 The resolution was moved for adoption by Commissioner -uhoo�pr , and the motion was seconded by Commissioner Rird and upon being put to a vote, the vote was as follows: Chairman Carolyn K. Eggert ALe Vice Chairman Margaret C. Bowman AVe Commissioner Richard N. Bird _fie Commissioner Don C. Scurlock, Jr.qr�e Commissioner Gary C. wheeler Aye The Chair thereupon declared the Resolution duly passed and adopted this 4 day of February 1992. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS INDIA VER COUNTY, FLORIDA BY: At Carolyn Egged , Chairman Jeffrey afon, Clerk Q` e .