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Jackson County Health Department to buy two Ford Escapes for sanitarians; department outlines take‑home policy and program updates
Summary
The Board approved purchase of two Ford Escapes to restore a vehicle pool for sanitarians; health department officials described take‑home rules, monitoring, environmental health staffing gaps, radon test promotion and a $215 Spotify public‑health ad that reached 13,107 people.
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of two Ford Escapes for the Health Department to support its sanitarians, the department reported during its monthly update.
The director said the department has seven sanitarians and currently operates six vehicles; two 2007 trucks were removed from the fleet (one totaled, one with a blown transmission). The 2025 capital budget originally allowed $100,000 for two vehicles; bids came under that figure and the department requested purchase of two Ford Escapes. Commissioner Snell moved the purchase; Commissioner Williams seconded and the board approved the purchase by voice vote.
The department described its take‑home vehicle policy: vehicles are marked with the Jackson County logo per county policy, are monitored by a Verizon system for safety and use-tracking, and are authorized for business use only. The director said managers review take‑home vehicle eligibility annually.
Commissioners asked about fleet replacement priorities and repair costs; the director said staff will audit vehicle miles, Verizon tracking and maintenance histories to decide which older vehicles to retire next.
In other operational updates, the Health Department director said the environmental health program is operating without a director and the department is evaluating oversight models while continuing plan-review and inspection work. The director reported plan reviews, including food truck reviews, are meeting the statutory response requirement (preliminary response within 30 days) and are improved compared with six to nine months earlier.
Public‑education efforts were also highlighted. The director said January is Radon Awareness Month and the department is offering short‑term radon test kits at a reduced price ($5 in January and likely February, down from the usual $11). Findings are reported through the state; remediation is voluntary but recommended and the department can provide guidance.
The department also ran a Spotify advertising campaign promoting childhood immunizations; the director said the $215 campaign reached 13,107 unique individuals.
The board approved the vehicle purchase and received the department’s monthly report by voice vote.
