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Geary County health director reports resolved boil-water advisory, TB monitoring and potential $40,000 state grant delay
Summary
The county health director said a boil-water advisory has been lifted after testing, the department is monitoring a recent TB case, STI numbers remain a multi‑year priority, and a $40,000 state grant payment is delayed by a state-system error that may affect cash flow.
Charles Martinez, director of the Geary County Health Department, told commissioners the department increased tuberculosis monitoring after one recent county case and confirmed a boil-water advisory was resolved after testing showed the water is safe. Martinez said COVID-19 and RSV activity remain low and that gastrointestinal illness warrants attention due to an upward trend.
Martinez identified sexually transmitted infections as the department's largest ongoing disease burden and said the county will continue testing and outreach with a plan that will take years to reduce rates. He also reported one case of salmonella that public-health staff traced to a private home, not a restaurant.
On finances, Martinez said the department expects $40,000 from the state, but a technical issue in the state's grant system has delayed payment; if the funds are not received within the next two pay periods the department may experience a shortfall. Commissioners authorized a small budget adjustment: moving $2,105.70 from account 0680 to Capital Outlay to correctly designate a durable lab equipment purchase.
Martinez said he is working with county finance staff and the state grant manager to correct the system calculation and release funds as soon as the error is addressed.
