Committee recommends approving MOU to use Oak Avenue Community Center as local SNS dispensing site

The Finance, Budget and Personnel Committee on April 1 voted to recommend Common Council approval of a memorandum of understanding with the Wood County Health Department to designate Oak Avenue Community Center as a local dispensing site for the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).

Justin Kaspersen, Parks and Recreation, described the MOU and said local dispensing sites are preidentified, accessible locations that “are capable of handling large numbers of people and are equipped to distribute medications or immunizations from this SNS in response to a public health emergency.” He explained the SNS is a federal stockpile of drugs, vaccines and medical products that can be deployed to state, local, tribal or territorial health jurisdictions.

Under the MOU staff summarized for the committee, city employees will permit use of the Oak Avenue facility by Wood County Health Department equipment within 24 hours of request and for the period requested for mass clinics or disease-prevention activities, except for dates already reserved for city voting events or previously scheduled events that cannot be rescheduled. The MOU also states organizations using the community center’s second-floor rooms may continue their activities during deployment as long as those uses do not negatively affect county operations.

Committee member Reigel flagged a discrepancy in the MOU’s list of designated points of contact — the MOU requested three contacts but only listed two. Staff said they would add Ben Steinmacher, Park Superintendent, as a third contact to satisfy the MOU requirement. Reigel also asked whether the county would compensate the city if the county needed exclusive use of the building for an extended period; Kaspersen said “a large and catastrophic” exclusive use might trigger the city’s emergency operations center (EOC) response and possible state relief but that he could not say for certain and noted that during the COVID response the county used other city facilities and staff was not aware of direct reimbursement.

A motion to approve the MOU and authorize staff to execute it passed without opposition.

Staff said the MOU packet was provided to committee members and that the document will be signed by city staff once the third contact is added and the Common Council approves the recommendation.