Summit County Board of Health to meet bimonthly beginning Feb. 2026; December meeting moved to Dec. 15

The Summit County Board of Health voted to change its regular public meeting schedule from monthly to bimonthly, starting in February 2026, and agreed to move the December meeting to Dec. 15 this year to accommodate budget approval and the county health improvement plan (CHIP) adoption timeline.

Rationale and discussion: Staff (Pensy, the board’s executive secretary) told members other jurisdictions meet less frequently and proposed combining monthly updates into an emailed report during off months. The county code requires at least quarterly meetings; staff said a bimonthly schedule would preserve the board’s ability to call special meetings for time-sensitive appeals or hearings. Board members offered mixed views: some favored retaining monthly in-person contact for engagement reasons, while others preferred fewer meetings and fewer status presentations.

Votes and next steps: The board made a motion to adopt a bimonthly schedule and the motion passed by voice vote; members also made and passed a motion to move the December meeting from Dec. 1 to Dec. 15 so the board could review and approve budget items and the CHIP before year-end. Staff said they will publish a public-facing calendar reflecting the new schedule and provide email updates in off months; they will still convene special meetings if needed.