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Benton County public health outlines staffing, preparedness and grant priorities
Summary
Public health staff briefed the board on new foundational public health funding, recruitment challenges (public health nurse vacancy), incident-command exercises, traffic‑safety partnerships and available grant funding to send up to three commissioners to a national preparedness conference.
Jacqueline, representing Benton County Public Health, gave an extended update to the board on Jan. 21 about department priorities, staffing and preparedness activities.
She summarized the department’s mission and statutory responsibilities under Minnesota Stat. 145A and said the county recently received foundational public‑health funding and response/readiness grant dollars. "Our Benton County Public Health Department works in partnership with Minnesota Department of Health," she told the board, and described the state’s framework as allowing local flexibility to address community‑specific needs.
Staffing: Jacqueline said the department is continuing recruitment for a public health nurse who will lead family home visiting, child and teen checkups and WIC services; the department plans temporary WIC coverage during the transition. She said training and onboarding for some roles are extensive and noted an upcoming retirement after more than 24 years of service.
Preparedness and programs: Public health staff have participated in incident‑command system exercises (for example, a hepatitis A outbreak scenario), completed basic life support/AED/Stop the Bleed training, and worked with local partners on traffic‑safety programs (Toward Zero Deaths) and safe‑routes projects in schools. Jacqueline noted that an MDH review of the county’s public‑health emergency preparedness elements found the county in good standing.
Grants and conferences: The department described a grant opportunity tied to response readiness that can fund commissioner attendance at the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) conference; the board approved up to three commissioners to attend, with travel subject to the county out‑of‑state travel policy and scheduling. Jacqueline said the department has about $4,200 available in the current grant to support travel and registration and that broader grant and foundation funds cover many programs.
Community programs: The department’s staff partnered on a Super Shelf upgrade at the Foley Cross Center food shelf to improve access to fresh produce and reduce food waste; staff also help coordinate lead follow‑up, environmental health work and case coordination for vulnerable adults.
Budget snapshot: Jacqueline gave an approximate budget picture citing roughly $1.4 million in grant revenue and about $450,000 in levy funding for public health in 2025. She said she would bring a strategic plan to the board after on‑site sessions with the Minnesota Department of Health.
The board offered follow‑up questions about recruiting the public‑health nurse, use of grants and connections with county highway planning (for traffic‑safety coordination). Jacqueline said public health and emergency management coordinate frequently and that public health leads on health messaging while emergency management may have operational lead in evacuations or sheltering.
