Tyler Shaw, public health director, told the Human Services Committee the department plans to apply for a second round of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development lead grant that could provide up to $4,000,000 over four years to support lead-poisoning prevention work. Shaw said the application lists a 10% local match but noted the department previously used existing grant funds as an in-kind match and indicated it could do so again; the committee moved to approve authorization to apply and the motion carried.
Shaw also gave routine reporting and outreach updates. He said child-service referrals usually fall in summer because schools — a frequent referral source — are on break. He encouraged members to visit the county fair public health booth, which includes a radon model house built by BOCES construction students and a radon demonstration. On ticks, Shaw said the department’s community health assessment gathered responses from more than 2,000 residents and that 717 respondents answered whether someone in their household had a tick bite or tickborne illness in the previous two years; he said the results will be broken down by township for the minutes.
The committee approved several related public-health items presented by Shaw: authorization to apply for the HUD lead grant, a preschool occupational-therapy contract (Madison Hogue), a two-year extension of a rabies block grant totaling $14,095 for the listed period, and personnel actions to fill a junior accountant and a public health educator position. The motions passed by voice vote with committee members saying “Aye,” and the chair declared each motion carried.
Shaw fielded procedural questions about grant matching and staffing but no additional policy direction was recorded during the meeting.